Arabic version: برلمان الإقليم الشمالي يمرر مذكرة بشأن تصريحات بيتش
According to ABC News, the Northern Territory government used its parliamentary majority to pass a motion condemning shadow child protection minister Chansey Paech over comments he made to media after a report into the death of Kumanjayi Little Baby.
Country Liberal Party Child Protection Minister Robyn Cahill moved the motion, saying Mr Paech had referred at a Tuesday press conference to Jefferson Lewis, who has been charged with the five-year-old’s murder in Alice Springs but has not entered a plea or faced trial. Ms Cahill said the matter was before the courts and that MPs must choose their words carefully so justice can be done and seen to be done.
She described Mr Paech’s remarks as “offender-focused commentary” and said they were “condemnable”. Ms Cahill said there was no justification for the comments, including grief, politics or frustration with the government, and that Kumanjayi Little Baby’s family and the community deserved better.
Mr Paech said the government had politicised the child’s death by bringing the motion. The Central Australia-based MLA said he had supported the family, including through sorry camps, and would not apologise for calling out injustices. He said people in the community already knew about the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
The debate followed the release of a report by Greg Shanahan and Karen Webb that found extensive failings in the Department of Children and Families. Mr Paech and some child safety advocacy organisations criticised the government for focusing on the department while overlooking issues involving corrections, the justice system, domestic violence and housing.
During question time, Labor backbencher Dheran Young asked whether the department was investigating the release of confidential information reported by News 24 and the NT News. Ms Cahill did not say whether an investigation was underway, but said unexpected information entering the public arena was concerning and should be traced to those who published it.
