Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Thorpe. I don't think it's fair for Senator Thorpe to suggest that this government doesn't take these issues seriously. I would like to think that every member of this chamber has been appalled by some of the racial violence and the alleged murder, bearing in mind that there's a process yet to be gone through, particularly in relation to the incident in Perth, which was awful. There's no other word for it, and it shouldn't be happening in Australia. It shouldn't have happened in Australia at any period of our history, and it certainly shouldn't be happening now.

But it's not just me who's been saying this on behalf of the government. I well remember the multiple comments that the Prime Minister has made in recent weeks about these acts of racial violence. As I said, I would hope that that is a position that is shared by all members of this chamber. I'm sure, Senator Thorpe, you are aware of the range of actions that this government is taking on matters involving youth justice, which disturbingly in this day and age continues to have a disproportionate involvement of young First Nations people. As a country we haven't done a good enough job of youth justice for young Indigenous people, and they are being incarcerated at a far higher rate than should be acceptable to any of us in this country. But I do believe that this is an issue that the government takes seriously. We had money in the most recent budget to expand the range of services around youth justice, particularly in relation to young First Nations people.