Steph Hodgins-May (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to note my support for the National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Bill 2026 and also to associate my comments with those of Senator Shoebridge and Senator Larissa Waters, who I also want to thank for outlining our support and for putting forward an amendment with real teeth that would require the government to formally respond to recommendations made by the national commissioner and essentially give this the teeth that it needs and deserves. This bill enables the commissioner to independently conduct inquiries and make recommendations to government on the priorities that matter most to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and families.

For too long, communities have been calling for legislation that embeds a strong, genuine voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. For too long, the evidence has been telling us that same painful truth: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are 11 times more likely to be placed in out-of-home care. The system is failing our children. Data from just last week tells us that only one in three Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child arrives at school developmentally on track. This figure is getting worse, not better. This is not a statistic that this chamber and this government should accept.

Let us be clear: this is a failure of successive governments. It is a failure to meet the targets set under the Closing the Gap agreements. Words on paper mean nothing without the outcomes to back them up. Aboriginal community controlled organisations lead the way in developing culturally safe, integrated supports that genuinely improve developmental outcomes for children and families, yet many of these organisations face significant pressures from workplace shortages, governance challenges and funding constraints that limit their ability to deliver and to grow. SNAICC's Early Years Support program provides the critical backbone support these services need, strengthening their viability and enabling the expansion of the community controlled early years sector that Closing the Gap demands.

Independent evaluation confirms what communities already know. Aboriginal community controlled organisations represent the absolute gold standard of culturally responsive early learning. Supported services reduce administrative burden, strengthen workforce capability and improve performance against Australia's national quality standard. This bill is a step in the right direction, and our children deserve nothing less. But adopting this Greens amendment will strengthen it, and strengthen it we must. Now the commissioner's work begins, and so does this government's obligation to not just hear the recommendations but act on them.