Finocchiaro dismisses child protection concerns as ‘hysteria’
Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has dismissed criticism of proposed child protection law changes as “hysteria”, denying they would remove the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle while confirming there was no prior consultation with Aboriginal organisations.
Stakeholders have one week to respond to what the NT government describes as “landmark” reforms to the Care and Protection of Children Act. Submissions are due to the scrutiny committee by the end of Friday, with a public hearing set for next week.
Key Points
- NT government opens one-week consultation on child protection overhaul
- Finocchiaro rejects claims reforms remove Aboriginal Child Placement Principle
- Aboriginal health and legal services warn of generational harm
- Reforms aim to ease permanent orders and add independent representation
- Albanese urges respectful engagement with First Nations communities
- Three workers stood down after Kumanjayi Little Baby’s death
- Submissions due Friday before a public hearing next week
Government defends overhaul
In her first public comments on the bill during an ABC Radio Darwin interview on Thursday, Ms Finocchiaro rejected claims by Aboriginal health and legal services that the proposal would override the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle, which prioritises kinship or Aboriginal carers.
The government says the reforms elevate safety as the top priority and are designed to increase stability for children removed from their families by making it easier to secure permanent protection orders. It has also flagged that children will be represented independently in court, describing this as a key positive change.
“I would recommend people who are interested to read it for themselves and make sure they’re fully informed because the hysteria around this is completely ill-founded,” she said.
Mrs Finocchiaro characterised the independent representation measure as a “positive reform being masked by all the hysteria”. She said the government’s focus was on making laws that protect Territorians and deliver for the Territory.
Plans for changes to the Act were first reported last year. NT Child Protection Minister Robyn Cahill foreshadowed their introduction to parliament after the alleged murder last month of a five-year-old girl known as Kumanjayi Little Baby in Alice Springs.
Sector warns of harm
Aboriginal health and legal services have argued the proposed amendments would make it easier to remove children and harder for families to be reunited. They also contend there is no mechanism to enforce a new requirement that caseworkers take “proactive steps” to support at-risk families.
The government has acknowledged it did not consult Aboriginal organisations prior to releasing the bill. Critics say the approach risks doing “generations” of harm rather than addressing systemic problems.
Asked whether there was public evidence that the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle was putting children at risk, Ms Finocchiaro said she had not heard anyone praising the NT child protection system and questioned suggestions that there was broad confidence in the current arrangements. She said the legislation could not wait for the outcome of a case review related to the Alice Springs tragedy.
Tragedy and political response
Kumanjayi Little Baby, 5, went missing from the Alice Springs Old Timers town camp. Her body was found five days later. Jefferson Lewis, 47, has been charged with her murder.
Following her death, three child protection workers were stood down. The responsible department has not detailed which processes were not followed in the case. The NT government and NT Police have declined to investigate leaks indicating several child protection notifications were made regarding the home.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese travelled to Alice Springs on Wednesday to meet the family. He said the visit was to tell the grieving relatives that the nation stands with them and signalled his government would work with the Territory on the proposed laws.
“But they also need to work respectfully with the local community, with the family and need to make sure they involve First Nations people as well in this local community to work through these issues in the most constructive way possible,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
Calls for consultation
Territory Labor leader Selena Uibo is yet to comment on the changes. Deputy leader Chansey Paech said on social media that while the safety of NT children comes first, legislation should be developed with communities, informed by evidence and guided by lived experience, rather than rushed without proper consultation.
Federal Member for Lingiari Marion Scrymgour criticised the timing of the bill, saying the government was putting “the cart before the horse” and should wait for the outcome of its independent review into the child protection system. She said the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle did not make children unsafe, pointing instead to resourcing and funding shortfalls, and the capacity of staff to triage and work with risk when notifications are made.
Ms Scrymgour also said appointing former NSW police commissioner Karen Webb to lead the review could be seen as punitive, and that NT Children’s Commissioner Shahleena Musk had been sidelined. She urged collaboration to prevent more children from falling through the gaps.
Submissions on the bill must be made to the scrutiny committee by the end of Friday. A public hearing will be held next week.
