2025 Federal Election result and what it means for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children – SNAICC in the News

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has secured a historic second-term victory for the Australian Labor Party, becoming the first leader to win back-to-back elections since 2004.

The 2025 Federal Election result not only confirms Albanese’s leadership, but it also represents a significant setback for the Coalition, which is on track for its worst ever result. Additionally, in a historic turn of events, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton lost his Dickson seat to Labor’s Ali France; the first time an opposition leader has lost a seat in a federal election. Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has also announced that she will leave the National Party to join the Liberal Party, her decision coming as the Liberal Party considers its next leader following Peter Dutton’s loss.

Albanese’s 2025 Federal Election victory speech began with a passionate Acknowledgement of Country, to which he reaffirmed his commitment to reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and closing the gap. The Prime Minister declared that Australians had chosen values of fairness, courage and kindness, vowing his government would prioritise closing the gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous people.

SNAICC has welcomed Labor’s victory with Arrernte and Luritja woman SNAICC CEO Catherine Liddle expressing optimism for the future of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, saying that the result shows a national desire for a country where all children and young people are safe, nurtured and have the opportunity to thrive. She noted that early analysis indicates young voters and women played a key role in the outcome, highlighting a public appetite for a kinder, more compassionate Australia. Catherine also acknowledged the Prime Minister’s passionate and proud Acknowledgement of Country during his victory speech and his renewed commitment to Closing the Gap. However, she stressed that words alone are not enough—the government must act with urgency and sustain its efforts over time.

While Labor’s 2025 Federal Election result is encouraging, Catherine also identified critical gaps in Labor’s campaign, particularly in child protection. She has expressed concern about the lack of clear commitments to address the high rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child removals, a critical issue that sees Closing the Gap Target 12 not on track. Catherine has urged the federal government to take renewed responsibility for reducing the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care. In an interview with ABC, Catherine also spoke on the way Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues are treated in Australian political discourse, especially during election cycles. She criticised both major parties for using Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and issues as political footballs, particularly when it comes to vulnerable children. Catherine urged leaders to focus on tangible, compassionate investments—such as in early childhood education, safe housing, healthcare and culturally appropriate disability support—that keep children safe and well.

Albanese’s renewed focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs and Closing the Gap has sparked cautious optimism among key Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders and organisations. As reported by NITV, Palawa Elder Rodney Dillon, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights advisor for Amnesty International, called the result a chance for Australia to shift away from divisive politics and towards collective progress, noting that the nation had been “sliding down a way that was trying to split us all apart.” The Central Land Council welcomed Albanese’s re-election with Chair Warren Williams praising Labor’s promise to finalise the First Nations Economic Empowerment Partnership with the Coalition of Peaks and create 3,000 remote jobs under the Remote Jobs and Economic Development program. However, the Central Land Council stressed that deeper reforms are needed in remote employment services, including greater community control, job creation and improved accountability.

In his opinion piece for NIT, Reece Harley said that Prime Minister Albanese, Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy must demonstrate bold leadership to urgently address Australia’s failing efforts to close the gap. With only four out of 19 national targets on track, and worsening outcomes in critical areas like suicide, incarceration and child removal, Harley describes the situation as a national crisis hidden in plain sight. He joins Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders in criticising the government for clinging to ineffective, business-as-usual approaches and failing to heed long-standing community advice. While he welcomes recent initiatives—such as remote housing investments, justice reinvestment, procurement reforms and the Remote Jobs and Economic Development program—Harley argues that these efforts are far too slow and small in scale. He calls for immediate, large-scale investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled services, rapid infrastructure development in remote areas, implementation of long-ignored inquiry recommendations, strengthened Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander media and direct accountability to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Catherine Liddle said that there is still much work to be done after the 2025 Federal Election result but SNAICC is ready to hit the ground running. She said that SNAICC looks forward to working with all elected members to fire their ambitions, meet their commitments and drive forward reforms that prioritise the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.

For full coverage, find the relevant news stories linked below.

Topic: Queensland youth crime

Queensland’s hardline crackdown on youth crime in early 2025 has resulted in a significant rise in arrests, with more than 4,200 young people detained between January and March, averaging 47 arrests per day.

The crackdown is part of Premier David Crisafulli’s tough-on-crime approach and the controversial Adult Crime, Adult Time legislation, which allows minors convicted of serious crimes to face adult sentences, reflecting the state’s efforts to address public concerns about safety and accountability. However, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advocates, community leaders and Elders have strongly opposed this approach, who argue that it disproportionately harms vulnerable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Queensland’s youth detention centres currently hold an average of 314 children on a given day, with a staggering 70% of those being Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. Of the children in detention, 87% are unsentenced, spending an average of 48 days in custody and 69% of those unsentenced are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.

Catherine Liddle has strongly criticised the new laws, calling them misguided and dangerous. She argues that imprisoning children, particularly those who have experienced significant trauma, will only deepen their issues rather than offering healing. Catherine rejected the Premier’s assertion that these measures would enhance safety, saying that there is no evidence globally that criminalising children leads to safer communities. Instead, she pointed out that early contact with the justice system often leads to a cycle of reoffending, saying that children caught in this system need support, not punishment. Catherine said that the solution lies in providing children with the necessary resources to thrive—such as access to homes, education and a community that supports them—rather than a punitive system that further marginalises them.

Catherine also spoke on the contradiction between Queensland’s current policies and Australia’s national commitment under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, which includes reducing youth incarceration as a key target. She said there is a need for a systemic shift in how the justice system views and treats Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, and instead calls for policies that focus on prevention, rehabilitation and the holistic wellbeing of youth rather than harsh criminal penalties.

In addition to the concerns raised about Queensland’s tough-on-crime approach, Catherine Liddle’s recent interview on Radio National Breakfast discussed concerns about new laws in the Northern Territory that presume defendants guilty and place the burden on them to prove their innocence to secure bail, highlighting the disproportionate impact these laws will have on young offenders, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. She spoke on the need for a holistic, community-led approach that focuses on support and rehabilitation rather than punishment, and long-term investment in services to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children break free from the cycle of incarceration.

As reported by NITV, Palawa Elder Uncle Rodney Dillon also spoke on the issue in Queensland, saying that the crisis facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children begins long before their involvement in the justice system. He pointed out that over 60% of children in youth detention come from out-of-home care, highlighting a failure in the child protection system. Dillon said that to truly address the issue, the focus must be on reforming out-of-home care, ensuring that children are placed in safe, supportive environments rather than being caught in the justice system. He also advocated for community-led diversion programs and wraparound support services, saying that these children need a second chance, not just punitive consequences.

For full coverage, find the relevant news stories linked below.