Ash Ambihaipahar (Barton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to speak in strong support of the National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Bill 2026. This bill is about responsibility. It's about the responsibility to children who have been let down by systems designed without them in mind, the responsibility to communities who have been calling for change for decades and the responsibility to future generations to do better than we have done before. This legislation reflects a clear intention of this Albanese Labor government to place the rights, voices and lived experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people where they belong: in the centre of the national decision-making.

For way too long, policies affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have been reactive, fragmented and short term. Too often, the response has been crisis management rather than prevention and control rather than care. This bill is a shift to that approach. It establishes a permanent, independent national body with the authority, reach and focus to drive lasting, systemic improvement. The reality facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people across Australia is stark and persistent.

Debate interrupted.

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