Media Statement: July 24 2024
TERRITORY FAMILIES’ REMOVAL
Reports of Territory Families’ removal of two indigenous children from their foster carers in the Northern Territory are a stark reminder of how weak the Albanese government’s attempts to combat indigenous disadvantage are.
Territory Families are reported to have removed two children from the care of their non-indigenous foster parents after the carers made a mandatory report about sexual abuse concerns. Astoundingly, Territory Families responded by turning the allegations of abuse squarely on the foster carers who made the report.
Senator Nampijinpa Price said, “the situation we have here looks dangerously close to indigenous children being intentionally taken away from good stable foster families because of their racial heritage, when they dare to raise questions about how these children were treated prior to coming into their care.”
“If these reports are true, they are a chilling example of both the dysfunction in out-of-home care and the sexual abuse of indigenous children,” said Senator Nampijinpa Price.
“It is blindingly obvious that children need stable homes to grow up in if we want them to flourish and be contributing members of society. It is also obvious that indigenous children are treated differently and left in situations of dysfunction because of the Labor’s foolish obsession with the need to place indigenous children in indigenous homes with the result of taking them away from safe and stable environments,” Senator Nampijinpa Price said.
“That isn’t a standard we apply to Australian children of other heritage, so why is this government continuing to apply a double standard to indigenous children to their detriment?” Senator Nampijinpa Price asked.
“We should be incredibly grateful whenever we find people, of whatever racial heritage, who are self-sacrificing enough to provide a safe and loving home for some of our most vulnerable children to grow up in,” said Senator Nampijinpa Price.
“For all of their lip service about closing the gap and wanting to see improvement in the lives of indigenous people, the actions of the Albanese government make it close to impossible for the lives of these children to be improved,” Senator Nampijinpa Price said.
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Media Contact – Rebekah Hart 0459 893 181
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