‘Dangerous, ignorant and wrong’: Indigenous bodies criticise proposed NT legislation changes

Over 330 organisations across the country have condemned the proposed changes to the Care and Protection of Children Act 2007.

Indigenous children make up approximately 90 per cent of those in out-of-home care in the NT; yet only 16.7 per cent are living with relatives or kin, representing the lowest rate of kinship placement in Australia.

This, the statement highlighted, is a failure of government implementation, investment and accountability that “erases the love, strength, and protection that Aboriginal families, communities, country and culture provide every day”, according to APO NT chair Theresa Roe.

Numerous studies and experts identified culture and connection to Country as protective factors for children.

The proposed legislative changes, the statement described, remove or dilute the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle and Aboriginal concepts of kinship, facilitate the departmental removal of children from families, and make it more challenging for children to be placed or remain in kinship care or be reunified with their family and returned to Country.

These changes, it is argued, will not necessarily make children safer, but in fact, worsen an existing crisis for generations of Aboriginal families.

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The statement labelled the abolishment of the placement principle in particular as “a race-based attempt to blame Aboriginal families for conditions created by government failure [which] moves us further from Closing the Gap targets”, with NT children’s commissioner Shahleena Musk and the national commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander children and young people, Sue-Anne Hunter, calling for the reforms to be halted.

Ignoring such a united front, the statement argued, “is not good governance or law reform”.

Instead, it was suggested that the NT government invest in “adequate housing, early intervention and family support, family violence responses, mental health and alcohol and other drug support, and culturally safe services”.

SNAICC CEO Catherine Liddle said: “The priority must be genuine partnership with Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, leaders and commissioners who understand the realities facing children and families on the ground.”