Parliament condemns Paech over comments on child’s death — ABC News Australia

The Parliament of Australia’s Northern Territory passed a motion condemning opposition Labor Party MP Chansey Paech over his comments to the media regarding the death of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby. The motion was initiated by Minister for Children and Families Robyn Cahill, ABC News reports.

The minister’s position

Cahill told parliament that there is an accused person in the case concerning the girl’s death and that the proceedings are before the court. According to her, parliamentarians must choose their words carefully so that justice is not only done but is also seen to be done by the public.

The minister described Paech’s comments as focused on the accused and deserving of condemnation. She said the remarks cannot be justified by grief, political motives, or dissatisfaction with the government’s actions.

Chansey Paech’s response

Paech accused the government of politicizing the child’s death by putting the motion to a vote. He said he had supported the girl’s family in Alice Springs, helped them during mourning events, and had no intention of apologizing for speaking out against injustice.

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The MP also said that the circumstances of the child’s death were already being discussed in local communities and accused Cahill of providing information to the media.

Questions about the disclosure of information

A report by Greg Shanahan and Karen Webb, released on Tuesday, identified significant shortcomings in the work of the Northern Territory Department of Children and Families. After its release, Paech and a number of child protection organizations criticized the government for focusing the review solely on the department’s work, without giving proper attention to the corrections, justice, domestic violence, and housing systems.

During parliamentary questions, MP Dheran Young asked whether the department was examining the circumstances surrounding the disclosure of confidential information that Jefferson Lewis was one of the five identified safe adults in the girl’s life. Lewis is accused of her murder; he has not yet entered a plea and has not appeared before a court. Cahill did not specify whether an investigation was underway, but said the appearance of such information in the public domain was a cause for concern.