Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Hansard source

Nearly 50 per cent of prisoners in the Northern Territory are on remand. They haven't even had their day in court. And where have been the voices of members opposite? Where have been the voices of members opposite while there have been deaths occurring in the prison system across Australia—most recently, there has been the news this morning out of Western Australia. Where have been the voices of those opposite?

They talk about closing the gap. I say work with me. I am trying to do exactly that, but, as Senator Gallagher said, this is a whole-of-government approach, and that's why I want to see every single parliamentary committee in the Senate and every single minister around the cabinet table of this parliament answer those very questions that I don't have direct responsibility for. The Closing the Gap targets focus on housing, health, out-of-home care, the high rates of removal of our children and justice issues. Where appropriate, those questions need to go to the Attorney-General. I thank the Senate. I thank the Greens for their support in this. When we have greater scrutiny of Closing the Gap targets across every ministerial portfolio, guess what that does?