Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

(1) That there be laid on the table by the Minster representing the Attorney-General statements which detail, by state and territory, the number of:

(a) deaths in custody, including breakdown by age groups and cause of death;

(b) ongoing coronial inquests;

(c) incidents of self-harm in custodial settings; and

(d) miscarriages and stillbirths in custodial settings.

(2) That the statements are due not later than the tenth day after the end of the preceding three-month period commencing 1 January, 1 April, 1 July, and 1 October.

(3) That this order is of continuing effect.

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

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

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

The government won't be supporting this motion. We accept that the rates of incarcerated First Nations people and deaths in custody are unacceptable. In 2023 the government established a national real-time death in custody dashboard available on the Australian Institute of Criminology website. The dashboard provides information on all deaths occurring in police and prison custody as well as in youth detention. This important transparency measure is already in place.

States and territories, not the Commonwealth, hold the information that Senator Thorpe is calling for in this motion. In addition, it is not a reasonable request nor is it possible for the Attorney-General to table information about ongoing coronial inquests. I urge the Senate to reject this motion.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that general business notice of motion No. 637 standing in the name of Senator Thorpe be agreed to.