Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs - Melbourne, VIC — hearing of 7 August 2026: transcript & video · Polyfact

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Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs - Melbourne, VIC

6 August 2026

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Contents updated on 18 Aug 2026

The chair opens the inquiry and the Coalition of Peaks sets out its role, framing racism as systemic and to be addressed through the National Agreement on Closing the Gap and its Priority Reforms, followed by detailed questioning on government accountability, the National Anti‑Racism Framework, effectiveness of Closing the Gap, definitions of community control, failures around the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle, and mechanisms to shift accountability, use funding levers and tackle online racism.

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Panel 1 — Coalition of Peaks: systemic racism and Closing the Gap

16:47

Committee opening — inquiry scope and procedure

16:47

Coalition of Peaks — role and Closing the Gap framework

19:29

Q&A — Government absence and National Anti‑Racism Framework

23:42

Q&A — Critique of Closing the Gap and community control

27:42

Q&A — Aboriginal Child Placement Principle and national legislation

32:33

Q&A — Accountability mechanisms and online racism

41:29

Panel 2 — Legal and child protection systems: structural racism and federal levers

01:09:49

Panel 2 opening — NATSILS, VALS, VACCA and Djirra

01:09:49

Djirra — systemic racism, family violence and bail laws

01:22:07

Q&A — Place‑based responses and Commonwealth leadership

01:26:53

Q&A — Child visibility, over‑surveillance and service integration

01:31:39

Q&A — Racism in child protection and weakening of ACPC

01:37:41

Q&A — Structural discrimination, funding inequity and elders

02:06:55

Panel 3 — Education and workplaces: racism, workforce gaps and online abuse

02:28:22

Panel 3 opening — unions, AEU and student sector

02:28:22

Q&A — School racism, national frameworks and racist systems

02:42:17

Q&A — What racism looks like for teachers and students

02:48:16

Q&A — Workforce participation, attrition and colonial load

03:09:41

Q&A — Participation, place‑based solutions and attendance

03:18:13

Q&A — Online racism, platform duties and truth‑telling

03:31:11

Panel 4 — Traditional owner corporations, youth justice and land use

04:46:58

Panel 4 — Federation of Victorian Traditional Owners

04:46:58

Q&A — Youth justice, land use and conflicted state relations

04:56:42

Panel 5 — Online hate, political speech and platform accountability

05:23:04

Panel 5 — Tackling Hate Lab: methodology and findings

05:23:04

Q&A — Political speech, patterns of hate and AI interventions

05:28:39

Q&A — Platform accountability, Meta advisory group and data access

05:52:34

Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs - Melbourne, VIC

6 August 2026

Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs Fri, 7 Aug 2026 Australian Parliament

16:46 - 17:53

Speaker 8

I declare open this public hearing of the Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs for the inquiry into racism, hate and violence directed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands on which we meet today, and I pay my respects to their elders, past, present and future. I extend this respect to all Aboriginal peoples and their cultural and spiritual connections to Australia's lands and waters. In accordance with the committee's resolution of 6 August 2025, this hearing will be broadcast on the Parliament's website and the proof and official transcripts of proceedings will be published on the inquiry website. Any answers to questions taken on notice at this public hearing will also be published on the committee's website.

I remind members of the media who may be present or listening online of the need to fairly and accurately report the proceedings of the committee. I now call on representatives from the Coalition of the Peaks to give evidence. For the Hansard record, would you please state your full names and the capacity in which you appear? And I might start with you first, Ms. Mills.

17:53 - 18:11

Speaker 7

Thank you, Chair. If I could begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet and pay my deep respects to their elders, past and present. I'm Donnella Mills and I appear before you today as lead convener of the Coalition of Peaks.

18:11 - 18:14

Speaker 1

Thank you, Ms. Mills. Ms. Charles.

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