Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

We know that First Nations children are almost 11 times more likely to come into contact with child protection systems and that the proportion of First Nations children in out-of-home care is 43 per cent. This commissioner will have the ability to make decisions themselves, so we need to get the commissioner in place. The Minister for Indigenous Australians will work with that commissioner to ensure the scope of their responsibilities and to make sure that we are consulting with relevant stakeholders about it. This national commissioner has been called for. We are putting it in place. We want it to work. This is a whole-of-country issue that involves governments at every level. We remain committed to reducing the number of children in out-of-home care and supporting First Nations families, particularly those that have contact with the child protection system.