Arabic version: مفوضة أطفال الأمم الأولى تدعو لحماية الشباب الضعفاء

Sue-Anne Hunter, the inaugural First Nations children’s commissioner, is driven by the stories of vulnerable children, particularly one boy whose tragic case has motivated her to hold Australian governments accountable. Hunter, who served as a caseworker, followed the boy’s journey through the child protection system until he tragically became one of the more than 600 Aboriginal men, women, and children who have died in custody since the landmark royal commission of the 1980s. “It drives me … to keep his name alive and know that he did not die in vain,” she stated. “If we can get change that will be in his honour.”

Appointed in August, Hunter is now pushing for legislative change as the commission has recently been established as an independent office. She emphasizes the alarming rates of Indigenous children in out-of-home care and the overrepresentation of young people in custody, noting that Indigenous children are as much as 12 times more likely to be in care than non-Indigenous children. Furthermore, more than 60% of children in custody are Indigenous, who are detained at 20 times the rate of their non-Indigenous counterparts.

Hunter’s background is marked by resilience; she grew up in Broadmeadows, dropped out of high school due to dyslexia, and eventually completed her studies at La Trobe University and Harvard. She acknowledges the importance of her mentors, including trauma scholar Bruce Perry and Aunty Muriel Bamblett, former CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency.

Despite her achievements, Hunter describes herself as a “reluctant leader.” She feels a deep responsibility to represent the voices of children in discussions with policymakers. “You never know where these kids will end up,” she warns, underscoring the need for decision-makers to consider the impact of their choices on vulnerable youth.

Hunter’s ultimate ambition is for the commission to become obsolete, envisioning a future where every First Nations child is safe, supported, and thriving. “I’m hoping eventually we do ourselves out of the job, and we don’t need it,” she expressed, reflecting her commitment to creating a better future for Indigenous children.

According to The Guardian, her work focuses on building trust and relationships within First Nations communities, emphasizing the need for systemic change to address ingrained racism and injustice in the child protection system.