Northern Territory Child Protection Law Debate Sparks Controversy

Controversial child protection changes are set to be debated in the Northern Territory Parliament today, following months of criticism.

The laws have sparked mass national criticism with a swathe of Aboriginal, health, legal and human rights groups have previously disagreed, flagging concerns about impacts to the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle.

Speaking ahead of today's parliamentary debate, the Northern Territory Children and Families Minister Robyn Cahill said the government had one goal with the reforms — keeping NT kids safe.

"I think that there have been select pieces of the legislation that people have focused on and taken out of context," she said.

"The absolutely critical component piece of this legislation is that it in no way reduces the obligation of our government or the department to make sure children stay connected to their family, their culture, their country," she said.

However critics disagree, and have said the bill will weaken the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle and lead to more child removals.

The Aboriginal Child Placement Principle underpins the NT's current child protection legislation, which acknowledges connection to country, culture and community as fundamental for the safety, wellbeing and identity of Indigenous children.

The Country Liberal Party (CLP) government has previously said the bill will introduce a "universal principle" which they say will ensure decisions are made in "the best interests of every child", "regardless of background".

However, critics have said the bill will weaken the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle and lead to more child removals.

Recommended to pass

The legislation was first floated early last year, but was introduced to parliament this year amid increased scrutiny of the NT's child protection system following the death of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby in Alice Springs in April.

Earlier this month, the bill was reviewed by the CLP-dominated NT Legislative Scrutiny Committee, which recommended parliament pass the bill mostly unchanged.

The two non-government members of the committee, independent MLA Justine Davis and Labor's Dheran Young, opposed the majority view and wrote dissenting reports calling for the legislation to be paused or withdrawn

Committee chair Oly Carlson, from the CLP, wrote in her foreword to the 169-page report that "many" submissions and witnesses opposed the bill but that the Department of Children and Families' responses "adequately address the issues raised by stakeholders".

During the scrutiny process, the committee received 150 submissions from local and national bodies, including from then-NT Children's Commissioner Shahleena Musk.

Soon after the committee released their final report, Ms Musk resigned from her role over what she called her "effective sidelining" on the law changes.

Since the committee's final report, the laws have drawn further criticism from Australian Children’s Commissioners, Guardians and Advocates, a national coalition of children's commissioners and human right bodies.

In a statement last week, the body urged the government to pause its plan to pass the bill.

The bill is expected to be debated today.