A report by the Telethon Kids Institute showing 89% of predominantly Aboriginal children in detention in WA have severe cognitive impairment must be addressed by State and Commonwealth Governments, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today.

“Too often kids are entering the juvenile system as a result of their undiagnosed cognitive impairment, and once these kids have contact with the system, their life prospects worsen. This will be a problem in other states as well, not just in my home state of WA. 

10th anniversary of Australia’s Apology to the Stolen Generations, yet deaths in custody continue

In the wake of a second Aboriginal death in custody in Townsville in less than six months Queensland Greens MP Michael Berkman and Queensland Senator Andrew Bartlett are calling on the Queensland Premier to immediately implement all the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.

Closing the Gap progress could only really go up from last year’s annual report, but we still have a really long way to go, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today.

“While I welcome the improvement in three out of seven targets to close the gap, that still leaves four important targets not on track. We have a long way to go”, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today.

The Commonwealth must take more responsibility for justice issues in Australia if we are going to genuinely fix our youth justice system and incarceration rates of our First Peoples, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today.

“The Commonwealth is very quick to push justice issues and funding back to the States and Territories but the fact is the Commonwealth needs to take some responsibility if we are going to fix youth detention and Aboriginal incarceration rates.

The ten year review for the Closing the Gap strategy should prompt an urgent reset by the Government, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today.

“I am saddened but not surprised to read today that the Government ‘effectively abandoned’ Closing the Gap policy after five years. We all remember when they ripped half a billion dollars out of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander portfolio in 2014 and it was clear that matters were going to get worse rather than better. 

The Australian Greens condemn an alleged white supremacist themed Australia Day party in Kalgoorlie WA that purportedly used Nazi flags whilst referring to January 26 as ‘victory day’.

“This is clear cut racism and I trust that local police will fully investigate and take seriously the pictures circulating on social media”, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today.

Polling in Fairfax media today that reveals more Australians have gotten onboard with changing the date of Australia Day in the last year shows that the mood is changing and Government must listen, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today. 

“In the last year alone support for changing the date amongst voters has shifted from one in six to one in five, that shows significant movement out in the community. 

A new report by the University of Sydney that shows a link between income management and lower birthweights and school attendance must be carefully considered by the Government, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today.  

“The longstanding excuse for implementing income management by successive Governments is that children need to be protected, well now we have evidence that there is a strong correlation between reduced birthweights, school attendance and income management.  

The Senate has supported an Australian Greens motion that recognises the significance of the 42,000 year old remains of Mungo Man being returned to country.

“Mungo Man was excavated and taken off country over 40 years ago by a young geologist. This month he was finally returned to his original resting place, and the significance of that has now been acknowledged in the Senate.

“The senate not only acknowledges this significance, but pays respects to Aboriginal communities that have fought so hard over the years to bring Mungo Man back to country.

The Australian Greens welcome triple j moving the date of Australia’s Hottest 100 from January 26 to the final weekend in January.

“Triple j have done substantial polling and spoken comprehensively to the community about when they want to celebrate the 100 best Aussie songs for the year, and Australia has spoken. I welcome triple j’s subsequent decision to change the date”, Australian Greens spokesperson on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues, Senator Rachel Siewert said today.