MOTIONS › Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children
Senator McGRATH (Queensland—Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) (17:10): I seek leave to make a short statement. The PRESIDENT: Leave is granted for one minute. Senator McGRATH: The government acknowledges the important work of the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care in supporting better outcomes for Indigenous children, including children in out-of-home care. The government cannot support this motion as child protection systems are the responsibility of state and territory governments. Work is already underway to support better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island children through the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children, in which the secretariat has a central role. The government is continuing to work with the states and territories and Indigenous communities to assist Indigenous families and reduce the overrepresentation of their children in the child protection system as much as possible. Question agreed to.