Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of Senator Lines, move:

That the Senate—

(a) acknowledges that:

  (i) 4 August 2016 marked two years since the death of Ms Dhu in police custody in Western Australia, and

  (ii) Ms Dhu's family has repeatedly called for the release of CCTV footage of Ms Dhu in police custody; and

(b) calls for:

  (i) Ms Dhu's family's wishes to be respected, and for the CCTV footage to be publicly released by the Western Australian Government, and

  (ii) the Commonwealth Government to work with state and territory counterparts to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody in full in order to prevent future deaths in custody.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government acknowledges that any death in custody is tragic and it also acknowledges the anniversary of Ms Dhu's tragic death. The government is committed to delivering better outcomes for our first Australians and is working with state and territory governments, who have responsibility for the criminal justice systems. This government has acted where state governments have not delivered, including by funding the Custody Notification Service in New South Wales—a lifesaving service that would have ceased if not for the action of this government. However, in relation to this motion, I can advise Senators Siewert and Lines that, in 1997, the government ceased reporting on the implementation of the royal commissions' recommendations and stated that it had implemented all the recommendations that it supported.

Question agreed to.