Albanese rejects Dutton’s call for royal commission on Indigenous child sex abuse
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A joint statement by dozens of organisations, including many peak Indigenous bodies in health, child protection and education, said the Coalition’s claims had been made “without one shred of real evidence being presented”.
“It is frustrating and disappointing to hear the Opposition Leader and Senator Price repeating the same claims and calls they made earlier this year, again with no evidence and no credible solutions,” they said.
“If any politician, or anyone at all, has any evidence about the sexual abuse of children then they must report it to the authorities.”
Albanese said child sex abuse was a serious issue that every member of parliament should find abhorrent wherever it occurred, but it did not just affect one group or place.
“Tragically, it occurs on a very widespread basis and we know, actually, that the statistics tell us that the highest prevalence is actually within families and people that a child will know,” he said.
“No-one in this place is disputing the seriousness of this issue but what we won’t be doing is agreeing to stunts which are designed to whip up outrage somehow as if this is a partisan issue.”
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He noted the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, which was supported by the Gillard government, had already probed circumstances in which Indigenous children had faced abuse.
Pressed by the Coalition on Labor’s plans for progressing elements of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, that called for treaty-making and truth-telling following the Voice referendum defeat, Albanese said the government would continue listening to Indigenous Australians.
“We said we would have a referendum, we did. We said we would respect the outcome of the referendum, we have. We said we would listen to Indigenous Australians, and we will continue to do so. We said that we would make practical difference to the lives of Indigenous Australians, and that is precisely what we will do,” he said in question time.