Federal Election 2025: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders call for urgent action – SNAICC in the News
As the Federal Election approaches this weekend, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders are raising concerns about the marginalisation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues, warning that the current political discourse risks abandoning meaningful reform and leaving communities further behind.
In a televised leaders’ debate earlier this month, both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton acknowledged the failure of successive governments to address the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. However, despite this rare bipartisan admission, neither leader presented a clear plan towards closing the gap. The most recent Closing the Gap report shows that only four Closing the Gap targets are on track, with key areas like child removal, youth incarceration and suicide continuing to worsen.
Critics argue that since the defeat of the Voice referendum, Labor has stepped back from its leadership on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander policy, while the Coalition is seen as openly hostile to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led solutions. Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has offered little beyond a $115.9 million pledge for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander boarding school students, and her proposals—such as an audit of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and a Royal Commission into abuse in remote communities—have been condemned by over 100 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations as unnecessary and divisive.
SNAICC – National Voice for our Children has strongly opposed a Royal Commission saying that they have been made without one shred of real evidence being presented and describing it as a political ploy that would not make one child safe. CEO Catherine Liddle welcomed the acknowledgement by the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader in failures to close the gap but said that this must be followed by urgent, practical action, particularly through genuine community engagement. Speaking to the ABC, Catherine noted that while the honesty was encouraging, the lack of a roadmap or tangible commitments was deeply concerning. Catherine pointed out that the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, signed by all governments four years ago, already provides a framework for change through partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations—but this framework remains largely unrealised. She also spoke on both leader’s failure to visit remote communities during the campaign, arguing that effective policy cannot be made without understanding the lived experiences of those it seeks to support. Catherine called for real engagement—not symbolic visits, but meaningful conversations leading to co-designed solutions.
Senator Price has also criticised land councils and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations, arguing that they should not lead Closing the Gap efforts. Yet, the Productivity Commission and Djugun man and Commissioner Romlie Mokak have strongly endorsed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations, stating that outcomes improve when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people lead the design and implementation of programs. Senator Price has rejected the role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led organisations, instead advocating for a race-neutral approach. Catherine responded, saying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations are at the frontline when properly resourced and supported and deliver results where others have failed. She stresses that leadership demands courage—not avoidance—and that the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children should never be reduced to a political football. Catherine calls on all political leaders to rise above partisanship and commit to bold, community-led solutions that will effectively close the gap.
Larrakia woman Lisa Siebert, Country Liberal candidate for Lingiari, has distanced herself from her party’s Royal Commission stance. She has called for any inquiry into abuse to include non-Indigenous communities as well. Senator Price has also cited outdated figures—claiming $34 billion is spent annually on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs—despite more recent reports showing that most funding actually goes to mainstream, non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations. This has prompted leaders like Kuku Yalanji man Karl Briscoe, CEO of National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Protection, to call for a more honest and balanced debate. Former Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians Ken Wyatt has warned that ongoing failures to close the gap could lead to a class action against all levels of government.
As Australians head to the polls on Saturday, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders are urging voters and politicians alike to reject tokenism and commit to genuine power-sharing with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
For full coverage, find the relevant news stories linked below.
Article: High stakes: have Indigenous issues been sidelined this election campaign?
Excerpt:
Read the full articleSenator Price’s main plans—an audit of Indigenous organisations and a Royal Commission into sexual abuse in remote communities—have remained central, attracting criticism from more than 100 Indigenous organisations who said yet another inquiry would be divisive and unnecessary.
Earlier this year, SNAICC – National Voice for our Children, argued the focus on abuse only in Indigenous communities was a “political ploy that would not make one child safe”.
“Mr Dutton first made these claims in 2023, and hundreds of organisations and individuals rejected his stance, instead calling for action on solutions backed by evidence. It is beyond disappointing we have not been heard,” SNAICC chief executive Catherine Liddle said.
Article: Traditional owners want greater focus on Indigenous issues after failed Voice referendum
Excerpt:
Read the full articleCatherine Liddle is the chief executive at SNAICC, the national peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child and family services, and says commitments from the campaigning parties have been lacking.
“Any election campaign is an opportunity to do something fantastic,” she says. “The government knows that transformative change is needed.”
Earlier this year the Productivity Commission made a statement that governments were shirking “meaningful action” to close the gap, with only four of the 19 Closing the Gap targets on track to be met nationally.
Ms Liddle says the report is a “wake-up call”.
“This is the point where we say all governments lean into that report, all governments invest in those priority reforms that say work differently with your communities.
“Share responsibility, respond to what is actually needed, invest in strengthening communities, invest in children and we’ll see very different outcomes.”
Article: Coalition candidate at odds with Price and Dutton on need for Indigenous-specific Royal Commission
Excerpt:
Read the full articleIndigenous organisations have pushed back on the calls for a Royal Commission, arguing the solutions are already known and the motivation is a “political ploy that would not make one child safe”.
In January, SNAICC chief executive Catherine Liddle said Mr Dutton “first made these claims in 2023, and hundreds of organisations and individuals rejected his stance, instead calling for action on solutions backed by evidence. It is beyond disappointing we have not been heard”.
“If Mr Dutton is truly concerned about the safety of children, he should be calling a Royal Commission into the abuse of all Australian children,” she said.
After Mr Dutton first proposed the inquiry in the aftermath of the failed Voice referendum, Indigenous organisations issued a scathing rebuke, arguing they were not being consulted.
Article: NT Coalition candidate Lisa Siebert diverges from Jacinta Nampijinpa Price on royal commission call
Excerpt:
Read the full articleMr Dutton and Senator Nampijinpa Price have repeatedly called for a royal commission into child sexual abuse in Indigenous communities over the past three years.
The proposal has been criticised by Indigenous children’s advocates and medical bodies, including Australia’s peak body for Indigenous children and their families, SNAICC.
SNAICC chief executive Catherine Liddle said the Coalition’s proposal was not rooted in evidence or best practice for Indigenous communities.
“No one is denying that child abuse is a serious issue for every community in Australia, however, singling out Aboriginal families and communities is harmful and puts ideology before evidence,” she said. “The Coalition should be having conversations with the experts on the ground.”
Video: Advocate urges leaders to visit Indigenous communities
Description:
Watch the full videoCEO of SNAICC Catherine Liddle has urged leaders to visit Indigenous communities during their election campaigns.
Topic: Vote like Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children depend on it
Ahead of the federal election this weekend, SNAICC is encouraging Australians to prioritise the rights and outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander children this election, because they depend on it.
Catherine Liddle, CEO of SNAICC, said closing the gap starts with our children and the federal election is a chance to remind Australians how important their vote is to the future of our children. She said that the election arrives at a crucial moment, as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children continue to be separated from their families, communities and cultures, and placed into child protection and juvenile justice systems at shockingly disproportionate rates, with minimal access to early intervention and diversion programs.
Catherine said that in the lead-up to the election, SNAICC is encouraging Australians to look for bold, transformative policies from our major parties—policies that can change the trajectory for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. She said that this means committing to a universal Early Childhood Education and Care system, investing in programs delivered by community-controlled services on the ground and investing in culturally safe family supports. Catherine said that if you care about children, invest in what keeps them safe and strong—connections to family, quality early education and care with services that help our children understand who they are.
SNAICC is calling on voters to demand strong, evidence-based commitments from major parties that can genuinely shift outcomes for children. Central to this is access to high-quality, culturally safe Early Childhood Education and Care, delivered through a universal system that meets the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and is backed by investment in community-controlled services and culturally appropriate family supports. SNAICC welcomed Labor’s decision to abolish the Activity Test earlier this year, which expanded access for thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, and supports the Greens’ proposal for a $29 billion investment in universal early education. In contrast, the Coalition has pledged to reinstate the Activity Test if elected.
Catherine said the proposal by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to bring back the Activity Test flies in the face of expert evidence, including findings from the Productivity Commission, and would set children back by limiting access to Early Childhood Education and Care, particularly for those who would benefit most. She noted that access to affordable childcare is not only crucial for children’s learning and development, but also for families’ participation in the workforce and broader community life. She said that the removal of the Activity Test was a turning point for our children, however, reinstating it is a damaging step backwards and undermines efforts to close the gap–especially as new data shows that developmental readiness for school is worsening for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
SNAICC has welcomed the bipartisan support for the Government’s proposed Building Early Education Fund (BEEF), which will help expand Early Childhood Education and Care infrastructure and support the development of flexible early learning models in regional and remote communities. Catherine said that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations are central to these efforts, delivering culturally responsive education that sees higher engagement and better outcomes. SNAICC is calling for long-term, sustainable funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations and bipartisan support for quality Early Childhood Education and Care, including a clear commitment to rejecting the return of the Activity Test.
SNAICC’s election priorities focus on two key pillars: ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children thrive in their early years and delivering real action on Closing the Gap. This includes:
- a commitment to a universal Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) system that recognises the unique circumstances of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families
- implementing the findings of the Productivity Commission report
- a dedicated funding model for ACCO integrated early years services
- increasing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early educator workforce
- expansion of the Connected Beginning program
- implementing Our Ways – Strong Ways – Our Voices: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Plan to End Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence
- sustainable, ongoing funding for the Office of the National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People.
Catherine said that SNAICC’s priorities are grounded in what works, shaped by community voices and backed by evidence. She said that when our children are strong, our communities are strong and that this election is a critical opportunity to invest in the systems and supports that uplift Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities.
For full coverage, find our media release and the relevant news stories linked below.
Article: Vote like our children depend on it – because they do
Excerpt:
Read the full articleThe peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children is encouraging Australians to prioritise the rights and outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander children this election – because they depend on it.
Catherine Liddle CEO of SNAICC said Closing the Gap would start with our children and this election is a chance to remind Australians how important their vote is to their future.
“The 2025 election arrives at a crucial moment, as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children continue to be separated from their families, communities, and cultures and placed into child protection and juvenile justice systems at shockingly disproportionate rates, with minimal access to early intervention and diversion programs,” Ms Liddle said.
“In the lead-up to the election, we’re encouraging Australians to look for bold, transformative policies from our major parties — policies that can change the trajectory for our children.”
Article: Reinstating Activity Test ‘will hurt Indigenous children and families’
Excerpt:
Read the full articleCatherine Liddle, SNAICC – National Voice for our Children – CEO, said reinstating the Activity Test would fly in the face of a wealth of evidence, including recommendations from the Productivity Commission, which shows the policy would further disadvantage vulnerable children who stand to benefit from quality Early Childhood Education and Care the most.
“Removing the Activity Test was a long-held priority for SNAICC and the ECEC Sector, impacting thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families for the better,” Ms Liddle said.
“Reinstatement is a damaging move that will ultimately set back Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
Article: Prioritise the rights of Indigenous children this election – SNAICC
Excerpt:
Read the full articleWith the election [just] days away, SNAICC – National Voice for our Children, the peak body for First Nations children, says closing the gap starts with children, with Australians being reminded “how important their vote is to their future”.
Currently, First Nations children are incarcerated and removed from their families into out-of-home care (OOHC) at a disproportionate rate compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts, often with “minimal access to early intervention and diversion programs”.
In the lead up to Saturday’s election, SNAICC chief executive Catherine Liddle said they are “encouraging Australians to look for bold, transformative policies from our major parties — policies that can change the trajectory for our children”.
“That means committing to a universal Early Childhood Education and Care system, investing in programs delivered by community-controlled services on the ground and investing in culturally safe family supports,” Ms Liddle said.
“If you care about children, invest in what keeps them safe and strong – connections to family, quality early education and care with services that help our children understand who they are.”
Article: Concern Coalition childcare policy will hurt First Nations families
Excerpt:
Read the full articleAccording to advocates from SNAICC—National Voice for our Children, if the Coalition is voted into government, reinstituting an activity test for childcare would have dire consequences for vulnerable communities.
The group argued that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) children, and families in particular, would suffer under a policy floated by Peter Dutton for early childhood education and care (ECEC). An activity test requires a parent to work, study, or volunteer to qualify for the childcare subsidy.
SNAICC CEO Catherine Liddle said affordable childcare was critical for most families before parents could re-enter the workforce — it was this group that the activity test would hold back.
Article: Coalition urged to rethink “retrograde” plan to bring back activity test
Excerpt:
Read the full articlePeter Dutton and the Coalition’s plan to reinstate the activity test for parents wishing to access childcare has been panned as a “retrograde” move.
In February, Labor and the Greens voted for the three-day guarantee, which will abolish the Liberal-era Activity Test and allow families to access three days a week of subsidised early childhood education, regardless of how much they work or study.
The abolishment of the test was welcomed by Indigenous childhood education and care (ECEC) experts who have argued evidence showed “vulnerable children get the greatest benefit from accessing quality ECEC”.
On Wednesday, The Australian reported the Coalition would reinstate the activity test for parents wishing to access childcare. They had previously been critical of the scrapping of the test, voting against it in Parliament and arguing it threatened taxpayer dollars being spent responsibly.
Topic: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander priorities and barriers this federal election
In the lead-up to the Federal Election, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are seeking genuine commitments from political parties that address the unique and pressing challenges their communities face.
Appearing on ABC News Breakfast earlier this week, Catherine Liddle said Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples want policies that listen to communities and make a tangible difference. She said that election periods are often marked by anxiety, with political campaigns either ignoring or politicising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander matters. Rather than superficial promises, she called for commitments that address deep-rooted, systemic issues such as child protection, access to healthcare and education.
While cost of living, housing and Medicare dominate headlines, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs are largely absent from the major parties’ campaign platforms—despite the prominence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues in the previous federal election. Labor’s 2022 campaign foregrounded the Uluru Statement from the Heart and a constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament. Though Labor delivered on its promise to hold the Voice to Parliament referendum in 2023, the proposal was defeated, and since then, both Labor and the Coalition have shifted away from national conversations on Truth and Treaty.
Dr Bartholomew Stanford, a Torres Strait Islander academic from James Cook University, said this retreat is deliberate. He argues both parties have avoided the topic to protect their electoral chances, with Labor walking back from its commitment to the full Uluru Statement and the Coalition assuming voters are not supportive of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights. Dr Stanford has also criticised Australia’s failure to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, saying the country is falling behind other nations and undermining efforts toward genuine reconciliation.
Catherine Liddle highlighted significant barriers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voters face. One of the most pressing is the aforementioned lack of meaningful engagement by the major parties on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues. Another is access—both to information and to polling stations. She noted many people in remote communities have not been properly informed about the federal election timeline or their voting rights. In some cases, voters have arrived early to cast their ballot, only to be turned away and told to return to their communities to vote without any way to get back there.
Remote communities, such as Pirlangimpi in the Tiwi Islands, continue to experience challenges including overcrowded housing, poor infrastructure and limited healthcare access. The electorate of Lingiari—home to Pirlangimpi—is the most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-populated seat in the country. Its current MP, Labor’s Marion Scrymgour, has expressed her community’s continued support for Truth and Treaty and pledged to elevate their voices in parliament.
Catherine said the concerns being raised across communities remain consistent: access to education, the cost of food, employment opportunities, child removals and youth detention, harsh justice responses and the ongoing impact of domestic violence. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, she said, are calling for their voices to be heard—not sidelined—and for policies that reflect their lived experiences. She said that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples want their voices heard and they want someone to pick up those policies and work alongside them and start really leaning into what genuine reform would be, and ensuring that their voice matters as much as anybody else’s.
As mobile polling teams begin visiting remote communities, advocates are urging all voters to think critically about whether their candidates—major party, independent or otherwise—will prioritise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights, uphold the values of equity and justice, and commit to lasting, community-led reform.
Listen to the full SBS radio story below.
Listen to SBS's radio storyTopic: Northern Territory bail laws
The Northern Territory Parliament has swiftly passed new bail laws in response to the death of Darwin grocery store owner Linford Feick.
The changes, which go beyond laws in Victoria and New South Wales, establish an overarching legal principle that requires judges to be satisfied that an alleged offender will not pose a risk to the community if granted bail. That principle must be addressed and considered before any other type of presumption for or against bail is considered. Despite the fact that the bill passed without opposition, some MPs expressed concerns about its rushed nature and long-term effectiveness.
Catherine Liddle, CEO of SNAICC, has spoken on the new bail laws, labelling them as reactive and harmful. This week, while speaking on ABC’s News Breakfast and Radio National Breakfast, Catherine warned voters to be cautious of politicians who focus on being ‘tough on crime’ without addressing the root causes of criminal behaviour. She said that measures like tougher bail laws, which focus on locking more people up, do little to solve the problem and actually contribute to a cycle of reoffending. Catherine highlighted that the Northern Territory already has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, with over 500 people entering the prison system in less than six months, yet crime continues to rise.
Catherine pointed out that punitive measures such as tougher bail laws only exacerbate harm, particularly when they fail to address the underlying issues of poverty, trauma and lack of community support. Reflecting on recent violent incidents seen in Australia, she acknowledged the fear and anger surrounding crime but stressed that real safety comes from addressing systemic drivers, not locking people up. Catherine also voiced deep concern about the impact of these laws on children, particularly the harsh conditions faced by young detainees. She pointed out that children as young as 10 are being placed in adult-like detention centres, worsening their behaviour and likelihood of reoffending. SNAICC is supporting a complaint to the United Nations about the erosion of children’s rights in the Northern Territory justice system.
In the context of the upcoming federal election, Catherine has urged voters to hold politicians accountable, asking them to focus on long-term, community-driven solutions that address the underlying causes of crime.