Anthony Albanese has sharply rejected accusations he was made conscious of – and ignored – claims sexually abused Indigenous youngsters had been being returned to their abusers.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, in Alice Springs final week, made the assertion that these youngsters had been “put back into the hands of the abuser”.
“There is nothing in the Indigenous culture that makes that acceptable,” Mr Dutton stated, saying it might not be accepted wherever else in Australia.
“Yet here, somehow it’s accepted as normal practice and we’re destroying the lives of those young Indigenous kids and it’s unacceptable.
“The Prime Minister needs to take responsibility. He was made aware of it last year.”
But Mr Albanese flatly rejected the allegation throughout an interview on ABC’s 7.30 on Monday.
“The inference was that you failed to act. Is that true?” host Sarah Ferguson requested Mr Albanese, to which he replied: “No.”
“That is the first I’ve heard of it.”
He stated he isn’t conscious of any such info being put earlier than them, however conceded “there may well be a letter somewhere”.
“I have no idea of what (Mr Dutton’s claim) is based upon …. but he has not raised any specific issue about any claim, about any individual circumstance with me,” Mr Albanese stated. “If he did, I would say to him that he should report that to the police.”
Mr Dutton made the declare whereas campaigning within the Alice alongside CLP senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price towards the Voice to Parliament.
They stated the Voice would do little to handle the problems many Indigenous communities like Alice Springs had been dealing with – together with little one sexual abuse.
Senator Price stated added layers of paperwork – which “no” campaigners declare the Voice will quantity to – won’t remedy the problem.
The former deputy mayor of Alice Springs stated she as a substitute wished to see extra law enforcement officials on the bottom.
“Community members are just crying out for support,” she stated.
Meanwhile, Mr Albanese stated the Solicitor-General’s recommendation to the federal government on the wording of the Voice referendum query could be launched, however gave few particulars.
But he indicated that the complete model of the recommendation, which was submitted to Cabinet, won’t be revealed.
“I will say that the Solicitor-General’s view will be made very clear by himself through the Attorney-General which is the appropriate forum for it to take,” Mr Albanese stated.
“The documentation that goes to the cabinet, like any other cabinet document, doesn’t get released.”
Mr Albanese stated Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus could be chargeable for releasing the data.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
