Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Australian Greens, I rise to offer my deepest condolences to the family, including Senator Price, and community of Kumanjayi Little Baby. My heart aches for them, as I'm sure all of our hearts do. Words will never be enough to express the pain and the grief that the loss of this beautiful little girl has caused. A five-year-old with a cheeky smile, she was loved dearly by her mother and her family. Her future was stolen from her.

The pain is felt not just in Kumanjayi Little Baby's community, not just in Mparntwe/Alice Springs; it is felt throughout Australia. Thank you deeply to everyone who helped with the search for Kumanjayi Little Baby. Mparntwe/Alice Springs demonstrated what a united and supportive community looks like. Hundreds of residents, first responders, Aboriginal organisations, people who had never even met Kumanjayi Little Baby, gave everything to try and bring her home. When her family's worst fears were realised, the community came together again. The sea of pink at community led vigils around the country last Thursday was a show of support, of solidarity and of love. Thank you to everyone who will hold Kumanjayi Little Baby's family close in this sorry time. Thank you to the staff of 13YARN, who have been supporting so many First Nations people affected by this tragedy. While sorry business is ongoing, we must give Kumanjayi Little Baby's family space, respect and time to mourn and grieve in accordance with cultural practices.

This motion is a condolence motion. This motion is not calling for action, but those calls will come, and they must. The Greens condemn the epidemic of violence against First Nations women and children. We must work collectively to prevent anything like this from ever happening again. There is a criminal case underway. There will be a coronial inquest. The Northern Territory government has announced an inquiry into its child protection system. These processes will interrogate what has happened and what needs to happen. There will be complex questions and uncomfortable answers. Weaponisation and politicisation will not help us find solutions. Kneejerk intervention in First Nations communities historically has at best failed to deliver lasting change and at worst been harmful to those communities.

Top-down political responses do not work. Responses must be evidence based. They must be holistic and look beyond this case to the underlying drivers of harm. Most importantly, any response must be led by Aboriginal women and their communities. Aboriginal self-determination and leadership and the collective wisdom of First Nations women must light the way. Their voices are strong, and we must listen. The staunch Aboriginal leadership in Central Australia has held community together over an extremely difficult time. They will lead on critical next steps. Passionate statements of new National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, Sue-Anne Hunter, and the Northern Territory Commissioner for Children, Shahleena Musk, demand that the rights and safety of children guide our actions.

The minister has spoken about Our Ways—Strong Ways—Our Voices, the standalone national plan launched in March after many years of dedicated advocacy by First Nations women. That plan emphasises community controlled responses and the addressing of systemic factors. The plan recognises that the safety and wellbeing of children and women is not just about a justice response. It's about supporting families to thrive. It's about actively facilitating culture, community and connection to country. It's about tackling unmet needs and the chronic underfunding that keeps too many First Nations people from accessing services.

I acknowledge again the profound grief felt by Kumanjayi Little Baby's family, her community and affected First Nations people, and all people across the country. We owe it to Kumanjayi Little Baby and to those grieving her to do better.