Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. As I say, I do not think this is a very constructive road for the senator to go down. As I say, Senator Crossin has a long commitment to Indigenous people in the Northern Territory and to children in the Northern Territory and works extremely hard at promoting their interests. I think to come into the chamber and allege that somehow she is not serious about tackling child abuse does Senator Scullion no credit. I know Senator Crossin participated in the petrol sniffing inquiry and in a whole range of inquiries looking at protecting and enhancing the opportunities for Indigenous children. The Labor government has committed to a whole range of initiatives, including early intervention initiatives and preschool intervention, to provide better opportunities and protections for Indigenous children. We will continue the Northern Territory intervention. We will continue the commitment to assisting Indigenous children. We had bipartisan support; I hope this is not a sign that Senator Scullion is retreating from what we thought was a very important bipartisan measure.