A new Commissioner is to be appointed in the ACT to advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.
Welcoming the passage of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Commissioner Bill 2022, the Minister for Human Rights, Tara Cheyne said the Commissioner would advocate for the rights of First Nations children at both an individual and systemic level.
“The Commissioner’s individual advocacy powers mean that they can intervene on behalf of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in relation to decisions that will affect their rights or interests,” Ms Cheyne said.
“This includes in the child protection system such as in case conferences and court proceedings,” she said.
“Under the new legislation, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Commissioner will apply cultural principles to their work.”
Ms Cheyne said the cultural principles were developed following a recommendation from the co-design process that the legislation provide an explicit reference to the need for the Commissioner to focus on First Nations children and young people from a cultural standpoint.
Minister for Families and Community Services, Rachel Stephen-Smith said the establishment of the Commissioner was a key recommendation of the Our Booris, Our Way review into the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in the child protection and out of home care system.
“This new role will ensure the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people are being heard by a trusted person who can respond in a way that is culturally appropriate,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
“Importantly, the role new role recognises the importance of connection to family, community and country as being critical to achieving positive outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.”
She said the new Commissioner, to be appointed in 2023, would be an identified role for an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person.
