Mal Brough (Longman, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Herbert for his question. He no doubt would have seen the report in the paper the other day from the Labor Lord Mayor of Townsville, who has asked not to be forgotten with regard to policing issues in dealing with the Indigenous community of Townsville. I am only too aware of the work that the member for Herbert is doing with the people of Palm Island, a troubled community and one that wants to do far better and understands the importance of real policing. I have been heartened by the fact that so many people from around the country are recognising the absolute necessity of ensuring that Aboriginal communities have the same rights as the rest of us—that is, to live in a free society that is free of violence—and that they have security in their own homes.

Today Magistrate Sue Gordon, who is Chairman of the National Indigenous Council, had this to say:

First and foremost, we have children who are being abused and the first priority ... is protection of children.

Maxine Schute, from the Alice Springs women’s shelter, a woman that comes in contact every day with the consequences of a breakdown in law and order, was reported to have said:

We have to look at a system where the perpetrators of these crimes are removed and not left in the community to spread fear, to intimidate those who have been strong enough to speak out.

Tom Calma, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, says:

This type of behaviour has no place in Aboriginal culture and customary law ...

And we agree with him. He says it:

... is no excuse to condone such behaviour. If an Indigenous person commits these types of offences they should be dealt with by the judicial system just as any other person would be.

The reality is that these communities have no faith in the judicial system because the perpetrators often, whilst on remand, get returned to these communities and that is where the fear and standover tactics come into play. It puts the fear of God into these people that if they stand up in a court of law and say what they know to put these perpetrators behind bars they will have payback. This is what has failed these people; this is what we are determined, once and for all, to deal with.

Today I have spoken with a number of Indigenous people right around Australia, outlining the way I see this moving forward. I want to highlight comments from two different individuals. The co-principle of the Daly River School, which is not far from Wadeye, is very concerned that the violence that has been occurring in Wadeye and with the dry season now coming will spill back out of Wadeye and into these other communities. He wants us to be aware of that. She says that there has been a lid on this for too long, that the people have had no voice and now they have hope. She says that people are hurting and they hope that they get the support they need. The support they need, first and foremost, are police on the ground so that crime can be reported and crime can be dealt with. It beggars belief that members opposite shake their heads saying that that is not the answer. Live in a community where your child cannot be safe because there are no police. I ask you to consider such consequences.

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