New national commission established to improve outcomes for Indigenous Australian youth

CANBERRA, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) — The Australian government has established a new national commission to improve outcomes for Indigenous children.
Malarndirri McCarthy, the minister for Indigenous Australians, and Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth on Friday announced that the independent National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People has been established and will be operational from Jan. 13, 2025.
The new commission will be dedicated to protecting and promoting the rights, interests and well-being of Indigenous Australian children and young people.
According to government statistics, Indigenous children are 29 times more likely to be in youth detention than non-Indigenous children and 11 times more likely to be in out-of-home care.
“The over-representation of young people in out-of-home care and youth detention is unacceptable,” McCarthy said in a statement.
The commissioner will be an Indigenous person, with applications for the role to open later in October, and will advise the government on policy measures.
Catherine Liddle, chair of the Safe and Supported Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership Group, said that the commission would be a game-changer in addressing the over-representation of Indigenous youth in detention and out-of-home care.
The leadership group worked with the government to frame the roles and responsibilities of the commission and Liddle said on Friday that it would deliver on the Indigenous community’s long-held ambition for a national commissioner with real authority. ■