The Northern Territory children's commissioner, Shahleena Musk, has resigned as the Country Liberal Party (CLP) government moves to pass controversial changes to child protection laws. These amendments have faced strong opposition from Aboriginal, health, legal, and human rights groups.
The NT Legislative Scrutiny Committee, dominated by the CLP, recommended passage of the bill in a three-to-two vote, with the two non-government members opposing it. CLP committee chair Oly Carlson acknowledged in her foreword to the 169-page report that "many" submissions and witnesses opposed the bill but stated that "on balance, the committee considers that the [Department of Children and Families' written] responses adequately address the issues raised by stakeholders."
The proposed changes potentially lower the threshold for child removals and make it easier for Aboriginal children to be placed permanently with non-Indigenous carers or in group homes.
Musk expressed serious concerns about the government's approach, saying she has been "unable to support the Northern Territory Government's approach to substantial and wide-reaching changes to child protection laws." She highlighted "growing concerns about the current environment for independent oversight, evidence-based policy development and transparent decision-making in the Northern Territory."
She also noted her worry about "trends that suggest a reduced commitment to transparency, accountability and evidence-based decision-making" in the NT, emphasizing the vital role independent statutory offices play in good governance.
Reflecting on the bill, Musk said, "What [the government's bill] does is unroll decades and decades of evidence and decades and decades of advocacy to put in place a framework that is fundamentally about how we ensure that children who have historically been over-represented in child protection systems — and as a result harmed through those interactions — were safe."
The controversy underscores a politically charged atmosphere surrounding child welfare reforms in the Northern Territory.
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