Senator Alleges Dire Situation In Northern Territory

Senator Jacinta Nampojib, the shadow small business minister and former shadow minister for Indigenous affairs, has called for an independent inquiry into vulnerabilities in the Northern Territory. Nampojib noted that a niece of hers was killed at a specific town camp in the region. The senator is a member of the Country Liberal Party. The government has not yet agreed to the inquiry or engaged with the request due to potential political fallout. A Senate inquiry into youth justice and infrastructure heard evidence regarding the treatment of children in the Northern Territory. Committee members reported that children aged 10, 11, and 12 have been placed in shackles. The testimony suggested these practices would cause a major scandal if they occurred in Sydney or Melbourne. Senator David Shubridge stated during a Senate inquiry in Darwin that youth justice systems are failing across Australia. He reported evidence of children aged 10, 11, and 12 being shackled to waist belts and flown on commercial flights from Alice Springs to a juvenile facility in Darwin. Senator Schu-Bridge stated that the situation is particularly dire in the Northern Territory, with a senior Victorian government minister commenting on the coalition's election pledge. The pledge to repeal a treaty within 100 days was made by the Liberal leader. Opposition leader Jess Wilson cited a parliamentary budget office report estimating the treaty's cost at $1 billion over a decade, a figure disputed by Victorian government minister Harriet Shing.