ALHR supports calls for establishment of a national commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people

October 24, 2019

Today, during National Children’s Week, SNAICC – National Voice for our Children and the Family Matters campaign are launching a joint position paper on the establishment of a national commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.

The position paper has been endorsed by over 80 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous NGO’s, including ALHR, as well as state-and-territory-based children’s commissioners and guardians that are working to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Read the position paper here

Recent reports like The Family Matters Report 2019 and a report by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child reveal that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people around the country experience widespread and persistent discrimination and disadvantage, impacting on current and future generations. They are 10.2 times more likely to be removed from their families, 2.5 times more likely to be developmentally vulnerable than other children when they start school, and 17 times more likely to be in juvenile detention. Too often Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people are impacted by “buck passing” between the federal and state and territory governments, and between government departments and agencies.

We must urgently establish a national commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people to provide a dedicated focus on their rights. The commissioner must be independent from government and have powers to investigate and report publicly on issues that affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people. A commissioner could play a role in supporting strategies for more effective collaboration and coordination both between and within governments. There is increasing recognition across Australia of the importance of having dedicated commissioners for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people. Victoria established a dedicated commissioner in 2013 and South Australia in 2018. In Victoria, the work of the Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People has led to major government reforms and an increased focus on improving outcomes for our children. A commissioner at the national level could advocate for the needs, rights and views of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people, ensuring that our children thrive into the future.