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

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that 15 April 2016 marked 25 years since the release of the report of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody in 1991;

(b) recognises that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples:

(i) are imprisoned at a rate 13 times higher than that of non-Indigenous people, and are estimated to make up 3 per cent of the Australian population, but 27 per cent of the prison population, and

(ii) constituted 14 per cent of the prison population in 1991, but now make up 27 per cent of the prison population;

(c) acknowledges that more than 204 Aboriginal people have died in custody since the release of the Royal Commission report;

(d) expresses its concern that a quarter of a century later, many of the Royal Commission's recommendations have not been fully implemented; and

(e) calls on the Commonwealth and state and territory governments to:

(i) implement in full the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, and

(ii) adopt justice targets in order to close the gap and to change the record on the rates of incarceration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government is opposed to this motion, but we are not opposed to the important work of addressing Indigenous incarceration and deaths in custody. We acknowledge that any death in custody is tragic and is one too many. The government is opposed to this motion as it is not appropriate for the Commonwealth to sign up to matters which are clearly the responsibility of the states. State and territory governments are responsible for the criminal justice system, and it is appropriate that they take a lead role in addressing matters within the justice system. The Turnbull government is committed to initiatives that focus on tackling the underlying disadvantage that increases the likelihood of a person coming into contact with the justice system.

Question agreed to.