House debates Questions without Notice
Indigenous Communities
Dave Tollner Solomon, Country Liberal Party
3:07 pm
My question is addressed to the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Is the minister aware of further allegations of violence and crime in remote Aboriginal communities? Would the minister update the House on measures being taken by the federal government to overcome this appalling situation?
Mal Brough Longman, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs
I thank the member for Solomon for his genuine interest in this disturbing area. Unfortunately, since the allegations and the statements by Nanette Rogers from the Northern Territory DPP earlier in the year, there has been a steady flow of commentary both in the press and in direct correspondence to my department about very serious allegations of both sexual and violent crimes against women and children, in particular boys, in many remote communities. These are things that I am sure disturb all of us in this House.
I want to bring the House up to date with some of the steps that have been undertaken by the federal government subsequent to our summit into the violence and sexual abuse, where the federal government committed $130 million to try and address some of these serious issues with the provision of additional police, through bilaterals with states and territories and by instigating a national intelligence desk which will be operating from Alice Springs early next month. That will build on the success of the Central Australia intelligence desk dealing with interdiction of illegal substances, which has been very successful and again has been a commitment from the Howard government to those communities.
I was in Alice Springs last Saturday and I announced that the dog sniffer team that we had committed back in May had been accepted by the Territory government. I commend the Territory government for adding additional dog teams to this one so that there will be two stationed in Alice Springs, and through the APY lands in South Australia and through the central desert areas we can take further steps in removing individuals who are supplying illicit substances to these communities. There is much more to be done. The bilaterals are coming along. South Australia, Western Australia and New South Wales have signed up. We will be having further negotiations with the Territory, Queensland and the other states early next month.
Going back to the original question from the member for Solomon, he asked about whether I am aware of any further allegations. I am also aware of the allegation of the rape of a 12-year-old boy in Maningrida in Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. This was reported to some small extent, considering this is alleged to have occurred over a three-month period. A 12-year-old male was raped by five juveniles and five adults from that community. It raised with me the concern I have as to why this had not been more widely reported, as I am sure it would have been in almost any other part of the country. One of the conclusions I have come to is that unfortunately with Maningrida, like so many other remote Indigenous communities, people still require permits to go there. They need to seek the permission of a select group in order to be able to go directly to these communities. I know from personal experience that on occasions when the media has wanted to accompany—
Kim Wilkie Swan, Australian Labor Party
You name the child by naming the community.
Kim Wilkie Swan, Australian Labor Party
You name the child by naming the community.
David Hawker Speaker
Order! The member for Swan will remove himself under standing order 94(a)
The member for Swan then left the chamber.
Mal Brough Longman, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs
I think the member for Swan, as he makes his way out of the chamber, would like to know that what I am referring to here has been on ABC and has been in the Australian. Unlike so many in this House, he too has probably been unaware of this alleged heinous crime.
Mal Brough Longman, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs
I believe that the time has come for us and the federal government to look at the legislation that we need to remove in the territories and some states where we require people to get a permit in order to be able to go to these communities. We cannot allow—
Warren Snowdon Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia and Indigenous Affairs
That’s rubbish.
Mal Brough Longman, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs
We can no longer allow the situation to occur where children are being abused, where these various serious crimes are being perpetrated on people and where the full glare of Australia’s public through its media cannot be brought to bear so that Australians demand that this no longer occur. The federal government has spoken with $130 million worth of commitments. We are working with the states and territories but it is time that the permit system be removed. I know the member for Solomon believes this. He called for it in July. I support his call for it—
Warren Snowdon Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia and Indigenous Affairs
He doesn’t represent any of the communities.
Mal Brough Longman, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs
and I hope that the states and territories will also support this call.
Warren Snowdon Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia and Indigenous Affairs
Mr Snowdon interjecting
David Hawker Speaker
The member for Lingiari will remove himself under standing order 94(a).
The member for Lingiari then left the chamber.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Government Members:
Government members interjecting—
Martin Ferguson Batman, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Primary Industries, Resources, Forestry and Tourism
At least he doesn’t mislead the electorate like you on truth in labelling.