Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Hansard source

This is a serious issue, and, frankly, it deserves better than what we just heard from the Leader of the Opposition. Because we know it's a serious issue, we're getting on with the job of delivering for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people right across the country. This means listening to communities, not presuming to speak for them. It means working with people, not imposing decisions on them. That's why our priorities are the priorities that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have spoken about: health, education, jobs and housing. We are listening to First Nations communities. We need practical, effective solutions—not inquiries and commissions.

Child sexual abuse is abhorrent. I know how important it is that our children grow up safe and healthy. We don't need another royal commission to tell us that concrete action is needed. Our focus is on the immediate issue of keeping children and women safe. This year we launched a dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander action plan to end family violence. This is a first for Australia. It is supported by $194 million in investment in front-line family safety services and early intervention activities, and developed in true partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders with lived experience. The government is focused on working in partnership with the Northern Territory government and community organisations on the ground to make a difference.

I note the member for Bass has accused the Leader of the Opposition of appearing to weaponise child sexual abuse for some perceived political advantage, and has crossed the floor to vote against her party. The Albanese government is committed to protecting children from sexual abuse in all settings and ensuring criminal justice responses adequately reflect the profound harm caused to victims, survivors and communities. This includes working with all Australian jurisdictions under the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse 2021-2030 and to combat all forms of child sexual abuse in all settings. The Albanese government will host the Ministerial Forum on Child Safety on 24 November this year to progress national child safety reforms. All state and territory governments have been invited. The ministerial forum will explore nationally consistent child safety reforms to strengthen existing frameworks.

I also want to acknowledge the tireless efforts of law enforcement in Australia to disrupt and bring forward to prosecution shocking cases of long-term child sexual abuse. This includes Operation Tenterfield which led to the arrest of a childcare worker who worked in Queensland, New South Wales and overseas in relation to alleged child sexual abuse offences. These are shocking allegations which have caused significant concern in our community. Operation Tenterfield is a prime example of the dogged determination of the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation, the Queensland Police Service and NSW Police working over several years to identify the alleged offender. I thank all law enforcement officers involved in this difficult matter for their efforts.

Protecting children from child sexual abuse, including online exploitation, is a key priority for the government and the AFP. The Albanese government recognises that protection of our children is not something that we can achieve alone. Raising awareness and educating the community is central to protecting children from harm, and the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse recognises this. It is critical that we continue to partner together to educate, prevent, respond and disrupt those who seek to harm our precious children. The safety and wellbeing of First Nations children is a high priority for this government.

The Australian government is leading a significant program of work to protect Australian children from child sexual abuse and related harms. This includes work in response to the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, implementing the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse that I mentioned—which is in itself a key royal commission recommendation—and working with First Nations leaders, state and territory governments and the non-government sector to deliver Safe and Supported: the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children. In addition to work under the national strategy, the Australian government provided $4.7 million over four years to the Northern Territory government to increase specialist therapeutic services for children and young people who have displayed harmful sexual behaviours. These efforts build on the foundation that is the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, which is the key framework supporting strong, healthy First Nations families and communities.

The government has been working hard to improve the outcomes for Indigenous Australians. We've been getting on with replacing the failed remote jobs program with one that is about real jobs and real wages. There are 40,000 participants in this program throughout remote Australia, 86 per cent of whom are Indigenous. Last November we commenced the Pathways trials that have already resulted in 1,300 participants transitioning to work directly through trial projects. These trials will inform the transformation of CDP into a program that reflects the goals of remote communities and provides the opportunity for people to find fulfilling work.

Every Australian should have access to clean water, yet there are communities in this country where the water supply is too polluted to use. We've been working to address this, and we're making real progress. We're also investing in basic services in homelands for the first time in many years. We're expanding justice reinvestment programs to keep people out of jail and keep communities safe. After a decade of neglect, we're making a record $250 million investment in Central Australia. The Albanese government has been working closely with the Northern Territory government and local communities on delivering the plan for A Better, Safer Future for Central Australia. Since January this year, property offences are down 40 per cent. One of the initiatives we have funded is the Lhere Artepe Traditional Owner Community Patrol in Alice Springs. Not only is it making the streets of Alice safe at night, it has created 40 jobs for traditional owners.

We've invested over $18 million in expanding the capacity of the Child and Youth Assessment and Treatment program. The Central Australian Aboriginal Congress has recruited additional staff and they're doubling the number of children being assessed for issues such as FASD, ADHD and autism.

We're also investing over $40 million into Central Australian schools to keep young people engaged in education and to set them up for a positive future. The government has made significant investments to help Indigenous Australians live longer and healthier lives. This includes almost a quarter of a billion dollars to improve outcomes for First Nations people with cancer by enhancing comprehensive and culturally safe care. And there's $264 million over three years for a new lung cancer screening program. We are also training up to 500 First Nations health workers to deliver culturally appropriate care to First Nations people.

There are no easy solutions and no quick fixes to the challenges facing Indigenous Australians. But, as a government, we're determined to tackle the difficult problems and work with communities to deliver effective and lasting solutions. Our focus is on practical action and partnership with communities on issues, including health, education, jobs and housing—not more inquiries.

I note that the coalition is for practical measures, but the last time they conducted an audit in spending they slashed and burned the lot. As we have said, repeatedly, our priorities are the priorities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders themselves—the ones they have spoken about: health, education, jobs and housing. We need practical, effective solutions, not inquiries and commissions.

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