Rod Kemp (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for the Arts and Sport) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Bartlett for asking a very important question. As a result of the work of Mr Brough, I think this has been able to focus community attention on the problems that are being experienced in Indigenous communities. I think it signals in a very powerful way the government’s concern about this. The levels of family violence and child abuse in some Indigenous communities require an urgent multilateral response. The widespread and endemic nature of the problem is highlighted by the recent New South Wales report on child sexual assault in Indigenous communities. This is why the Australian government has called state and territory premiers and chief ministers or their ministerial representatives to attend an urgent summit on 26 June in Canberra. The summit will focus on improved law enforcement, child protection and criminal justice to protect those who are the subject of or at risk of violence and abuse.