Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I want to return to the issue of the Crime Commission, because there was an important point that I perhaps misinterpreted from the minister’s answer. I understood from the minister’s answer that, while the provisions that are being put into the act in relation to the Crime Commission were to do with Indigenous violence and child abuse, it would be aimed at both non-Indigenous and Indigenous perpetrators. I have read the bill, and this is where I may be misinterpreting either what the minister just said or the bill. The bill identifies Indigenous violence or child abuse as serious violence or child abuse committed ‘by or against or involving’ an Indigenous person. My interpretation of that is that that means ‘by an Indigenous person’, not ‘by a non-Indigenous person’. Can the government please clarify what it means? Does this actually relate specifically to Indigenous people? The Little children are sacred report said Indigenous child abuse occurs by non-Indigenous perpetrators, yet if I am interpreting the legislation correctly it says it is just ‘by Indigenous’ persons.