Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

The Commonwealth has accepted all of the recommendations that relate to it from the royal commission. The tragic events of recent times in the Northern Territory, and particularly the assault on the young girl at Tennant Creek, are heartbreaking. The protection of children is our most sacred duty. I will ask the Minister for Social Services to go into more detail about precise measures that we're undertaking in the Barclay area, but I want to say that we recognise, as the Chief Minister, Michael Gunner, has said to me, that we're dealing with very dysfunctional families facing enormous challenges of substance abuse. The Chief Minister recognises—as indeed the acting Chief Minister acknowledged quite explicitly—that the Territory government has failed these children. There is a need, as he's acknowledged, to have more senior child protection officers working in the community, who have greater confidence, to intervene earlier. Also, it is vitally important to ensure that people with cultural authority—and particularly speaking about Indigenous communities—are engaged so that the child protection agencies are working with the Aboriginal communities and people with cultural authority to ensure that support is provided both from government and from the community when families are failing their children. I will ask the minister to add to some of the more specific measures that we're adopting.

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