00:00We've seen an escalating pattern across Australia with several jurisdictions passing laws that
00:09violate international standards, international human rights law that relates to children.
00:16And we know that it's Aboriginal children who are especially impacted.
00:20We believe that the situation deserves the urgent attention of the UN Committee on the
00:25Elimination of Race Discrimination.
00:28We know Aboriginal children are actually losing their lives from some of these cruel, inhumane
00:32practices and laws that are happening across the country.
00:36And it needs to stop.
00:37These are vulnerable children who deserve our utmost support and protection.
00:43The research is, as we've pointed out, that Aboriginal children fare worse at every stage
00:48of the legal system.
00:50There's no disputing that they are more likely to be charged than cautioned, arrested and
00:55incarcerated.
00:56And that their vulnerability is actually stemming from a long history of inequality that hasn't
01:02been addressed.
01:04And this includes an ongoing problem of racial profiling today.
01:09So we are absolutely clear in our report, which is considered, that this is a form of
01:14discrimination.
01:16The National Children's Commissioner, Anne Holland, released her report last August into
01:21this issue, helped way earlier, and she made important recommendations for the Federal
01:25Government.
01:27That report hasn't been responded to and those recommendations are not under consideration,
01:32which is very disappointing and unacceptable, actually.
01:36The tough-on-crime, law-and-order approaches are failing and, in fact, the younger you
01:42incarcerate a child, the more likely the child is to become a repeat offender.
01:48So incarceration is actually leading to unsafe communities.
01:55Now, this evidence is not generally known by the public or the politicians who want
02:00a quick fix and who don't really seem to be concerned about the outcome of this approach.
02:07But many Australians, I think, are becoming increasingly aware that this approach simply
02:14isn't working.
02:15And I think there'd be many people who are shocked and horrified that we have laws across
02:20the country that are seriously out of step with international human rights standards
02:25and that are costing Australian taxpayers enormous amounts of money that we can't afford,
02:30that are diverted from essential public services that we all need, and that are making our
02:36communities more unsafe, actually.
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