Dorinda Cox (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I've spoken many times in the Senate about the Senate inquiry into missing and murdered First Nations women and children, but today I'd like to provide the Senate with a brief update about this inquiry. This year the committee has heard from families and communities in northern New South Wales and in Western Australia. We are in the process of organising hearings this year in Queensland and will also be travelling to the Northern Territory in the new year.

The primary focus of this inquiry is to hear from families and communities in a culturally safe way. However, the inquiry has also undertaken to hear from police and government agencies after we've heard from families, so we can examine the often poor and dismissive responses that the committee has been made aware of directly by families themselves. Recently, the committee heard from the New South Wales police and New South Wales government about what they are doing to improve cultural awareness and address trauma and the policies and processes that guide this. It became clear that there was some awareness in the higher ranks and some efforts to make improvements, but we are not seeing the changes in outcomes or on the ground.

In fact, just over the weekend, in my home state of Western Australia, we saw the tragic death of a First Nations woman—her name is Tiffany—who was found in her home on Monday. Her partner has been charged. I spoke to Tiffany's aunty, Rosalie Kickett, just before I came into this chamber today. The injuries sustained by Tiffany have been described as horrific and as extreme violence. First Nations women are not even safe in our own homes. However, her aunt has described her as someone who everyone felt safe with, a strong, resilient, smart woman and a mother of two young babies. My heart goes out to the family and the community who are dealing with yet another unacceptable loss of a caring, loving mother, sister and friend. This is unacceptable, and our First Nations women and children deserve better than this. I'm sorry that this has happened yet again.