Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Today I rise for a 15-year-old First Nations child, Cassius Turvey. Cassius Turvey was a loved member of the Noongar community who ran his own lawn-mowing business and would let community members decide how much they could pay him. On 13 October, Cassius was returning home from school when he allegedly was viciously beaten with a pole. He passed away eight days later.

When a First Nations child is born, they inherit and learn cultural wisdom, knowledge and strength. Our families gather and we wrap our arms around our babies, knowing that they're our dreaming children. Their blood line is their birthright. This is our children's land. It is their country, and they're guided by our ancestors. If only it were a reality that our children could live out their birthright in this country; that they would live a journey of peace, culturally and spiritually safe. No Aboriginal child should be robbed of their birthright in so-called Australia.

Our Dreaming child, Cassius, fell victim to a monster—a monster far greater than those who racially targeted and killed Cassius. The monster is the unresolved violent legacy of white Australia. To Cassius's family, friends and community: I'm sorry. To black Australia: I'm sorry. I am sorry that we are here again with yet another justice hashtag for the loss of another black life. No black child should fear walking home from school and no black mother should wonder if their child will return home. We all must fight for a country where First Nations children like Cassius can live out their birthright.

Cassius: may you rest as we rise and continue the fight.