Liberal MP accuses Peter Dutton of “weaponising” Indigenous child abuse
A Liberal push for a royal commission into child abuse in Indigenous communities has backfired, with one Liberal MP accusing her own party of ‘weaponising’ the abuse of kids.
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has dubbed the Coalition’s calls for a royal commission into child sex abuse in Indigenous communities as “stunts designed to whip up outrage” as one Liberal MP blasted leader Peter Dutton as “weaponising” the issue.
Tasmanian Liberal Bridget Archer, who has frequently crossed the floor to vote on issues including the Voice campaign, said it was difficult to see Mr Dutton’s push for the investigation as “anything other than weaponising abuse for some perceived political advantage”.
Ms Archer told Guardian Australia she would support a probe into child sex abuse but it should be in all communities and not just Indigenous ones.
“We don’t want to divide the country by race, yet we are singling out abuse in Indigenous communities,” she said.
Responding to a question from opposition leader Peter Dutton, Mr Albanese also accused the opposition of making the issue bipartisan.
“No one in this place is disputing the seriousness of this issue but what we won’t be doing is agreeing to stunts which are designed to whip up outrage,” he said.
Mr Albanese was also pushed on whether he or his chief of staff Tim Gartrell had ever been approached by members of the government’s referendum working group asking for a delay of the Voice referendum.
The PM said he could not confirm that had occurred, having also said on Wednesday that he had not personally been approached by anyone in the group.
“I met with the Referendum Working Group on a number of occasions,” he said.
“We met for two days around the cabinet table and every member of the Referendum Working Group was completely committed to going forward.”
A Yes campaign source confirmed the idea of going to the PM to ask for a delay was raised in the final weeks of the referendum by some members of the working group, but that the majority cautioned against this approach.
This issue was discussed internally, with another Yes source confirming some staff members connected to the Prime Minister and Labor would have been aware the idea was raised.
However they could not confirm if the request had reached Mr Gartrell specifically.
In the wake of the Voice defeat, Mr Albanese said his government was “getting on with delivering practical differences” such as increasing the number of Indigenous health workers and practitioners, upgraded health clinics and more education opportunities for Indigenous kids.
Earlier on Thursday, Mr Dutton blasted the government as “hypocrites” for failing to support the Coalition’s push for a Royal Commission into child sex abuse in remote Indigenous communities.
Mr Dutton moved a suspension of standing orders in parliament on Thursday.
It came after Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price moved a failed urgency motion in the Senate calling for the government to support her push.
“This is about protecting vulnerable children in our country who are being sexually abused,” a fired up Mr Dutton said.
“That they won’t support this shows what hypocrites they are … it’s a damning indictment on this Prime Minister and this hopeless government.”
An emotional Ms Nampijinpa Price said the government’s lack of support was “disgusting”.
The pair were backed in by Nationals leader David Littleproud who said the victims of child sex abuse deserved to be heard.
“They want to be heard. What have we got to fear? It is the right thing to do.”
In the aftermath of the failed Voice referendum, the coalition has called for the royal commission along with an audit of spending on Indigenous programs.
Health Minister Mark Butler accused the opposition of using the issue for political gain.
“This is an important issue and and to come in to without any notice and move a suspension motion about something that is as important and as sensitive as this sends a pretty clear signal about what this is about.,” he said.
“This is about trying to create a political point against the government. Now that’s that’s the opposition’s right.
“That is how this building works. But let’s not be too holier-than-thou about this if you want a genuine debate about child sex abuse...there is no person in this Parliament that is not committed to fighting this.”
Meanwhile Indigenous health and domestic violence organisations say the solutions to child abuse in communities are already known and require funding, not another royal commission.
Several groups broke their week of silence mourning the Voice referendum result on Thursday to oppose the Coalition’s push for a royal commission, accusing Peter Dutton of politicising the serious issue.
In a statement the board of the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory said rather than generate more recommendations from “yet more inquiries” governments must focus on implementing existing recommendations.
“Any abuse of any child is abhorrent, and profoundly offensive to Aboriginal culture which has at its heart the care of nurture and children,” the board said.
“Rather than yet another inquiry, we believe that the substantial resources required for a royal commission would be better used in services for our communities on the ground.”
Antoinette Braybook, the chief executive of Victorian family violence support service Dijarra, said she felt “forced” to break her silence in the wake of the referendum defeat to oppose the Coalition’s calls for a royal commission into sexual abuse in Aboriginal communities.
“This is not what First Nations people, especially our women, want,” she said.
“We want to be listened to and heard about our solutions to keep our women and children safe.
“We want our self-determined Aboriginal community controlled services at the frontline, on the ground, to be invested in.”
Ms Braybook said communities wanted “standalone, dedicated strategies” for Indigenous women and children’s safety.
“We don’t want government bureaucracies, opportunistic politicians or wasted taxpayer money on more royal commissions to tell us what they believe solutions are,” she said.
“This approach is a proven failure.
“We have the solutions, our voices must be listened to.”
MUNDINE UNLEASHES ON GOVERNMENT: “GUTLESS WONDERS”
The federal government has been slammed as a “bunch of gutless wonders” after they rejected a royal commission into child sexual abuse.
The Prime Minister has continued to evade questions on his government’s position on treaty and truth following the referendum loss citing respect of Indigenous communities’ ongoing week of silence, while a leading child advocacy group has condemned the Coalition’s royal commission push.
SNAICC has instead called on Labor to establish a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Commissioner, with “legislated power to investigate and make recommendations on issues impacting out children”.
No campaigner Warren Mundine described the government as a “bunch of gutless wonders” for voting against a motion put forward by Coalition Indigenous Australians spokeswoman Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price calling for a royal commission into child sexual abuse in Aboriginal communities.
Ms Price was scathing of the government, saying she now had to tell victims of abuse Labor was “not interested in hearing their stories”.
But SNAICC chief executive Catherine Liddle said a dedicated children’s commissioner was a better way to address abuse in communities than “singling out Aboriginal families”.
“That is harmful and puts ideology before evidence,” she said.
As the political fallout from the referendum continues, backbench Labor MPs have argued Closing The Gap must be prioritised.
“(We need) to focus on practical issues people understand rather than dive straight into another confusing issue the public are sceptical about,” one MP said.
Another Labor MP said lingering “scare campaigns” about treaty and truth made it difficult to progress the Makarrata process at this time.
“An obvious first step would be to look at how to better address the significant health concerns,” they said.
During Question Time Mr Albanese was asked if he had been advised by members of his referendum working group to delay the October 14 vote, to which he responded: “no”.
A Yes campaign source confirmed the idea of going to the PM to ask for a delay was raised in the final weeks of the referendum by some members of the working group, but that the majority cautioned against this approach.
This issue was discussed internally, with another Yes source confirming the staff members connected to the Prime Minister and Labor would have been aware the idea was raised.
A government spokeswoman on Wednesday defended Labor’s decision to vote against Ms Price’s motion.
“Every child has the right to grow up safe and healthy, but we don’t need another royal commission to tell us that concrete action is needed,” she said.
The government allocated $262.6 million in the 2023-24 budget to “specifically support First Nations women and children”.
Labor also rejected calls for an audit, having already recently agreed to all recommendations from a recent National Audit Office report to improve compliance of spending National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA).
The spokeswoman said the NIAA was in the process of implementing those recommendations, and the agency had also been asked to establish an integrity branch to “prevent and detect fraud and compliance issues”.
Originally published as Liberal MP accuses Peter Dutton of “weaponising” Indigenous child abuse
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