Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe has criticised Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's refusal to intervene in the investigation into the death in custody of Kumanjayi White, calling it a "shameful cop-out".
Mr White, a 24-year-old Warlpiri man with ties to the Yuendumu community, died two weeks ago in Mparntwe/Alice Springs after being restrained by two plain-clothed NT Police officers. At the time, he was under state guardianship and living in supported accommodation.
His death has prompted protests across the country — including in Naarm/Melbourne, Sydney, Magandjin/Brisbane, Darwin, Boorloo/Perth, Wollongong and Mparntwe/Alice Springs — calling for an independent investigation. So far, those calls have been rejected by both the NT Police and the NT Chief Minister.
Speaking at the National Press Club on Tuesday, Prime Minister Albanese also dismissed the idea of federal intervention in the investigation.
"The idea of federal intervention, which is, frankly, an easy thing that people come up with. You know, 'why aren't you sending the AFP? Why aren't you doing that,' without them saying where it leads," he said.
"I need to be convinced that people in Canberra know better than people in the Northern Territory about how to deal with these issues, is my starting point. I think it comes out all the time with a range of issues. But we do need to engage directly and constructively with First Nations people."
Senator Thorpe said the Prime Minister's response showed a lack of care and understanding for the situation facing First Peoples in the NT.
"How can he argue that NT Police are better placed to investigate this case than an independent body when the inquest into Kumanjayi Walker's death exposed entrenched racism within that very police force?" the Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung woman said.
During the inquest into Mr Walker's 2019 death, NT Coroner Elisabeth Armitage described the evidence as "deeply disturbing," including allegations of racism and violence within the NT Police.
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At a vigil in Naarm on Friday, Mr White's grandfather, Warlpiri Elder Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves, spoke about the pain and grief felt by both his family and the Yuendumu community.
"We can't go on like this, we can't live like this," Mr Hargraves said.
"My jaja [grandson] was killed for no good reason."
Speaking on ABC News Breakfast on Monday, he said he wanted a genuine apology from NT Police.
"You want to say sorry? You take the belt off, take your guns off," Mr Hargraves said. "I would say this [to the police]: 'Get off our back … get off our back.'"
Senator Thorpe accused the NT Government of taking a "cruel, punitive approach to law and order," adding that its policies have become the subject of human rights complaints.
"The NT government and NT police are not up to the job and do not have the trust of the community," she said.
Since coming to power last year, the NT's CLP government has reintroduced spit hoods in youth detention, lowered the age of criminal responsibility, and passed tougher bail laws — moves widely criticised by Indigenous, legal, and human rights groups.
In February, Independent politician Yiŋiya Mark Guyula wrote to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, inviting them to visit the NT, citing the massive increase in Indigenous people in custody in the Territory.
Unlike the states, where constitutional limits restrict direct federal intervention, the Commonwealth holds broader jurisdiction over the NT and the ACT.
Senator Thorpe said the federal government's refusal to intervene in Mr White's case was a "shameful abdication of responsibility," and highlighted its selective approach to national crises.
"We saw that during COVID," she said. "This is a life or death issue. What's missing is the political will."
She called for an independent oversight body to investigate Mr White's death — one of the original recommendations of the 1991 Royal Commission.
"This should be made up of legal and human rights experts, Aboriginal leaders, and community members," she said. "There are working models overseas. The Yoorrook Commission highlighted the Northern Ireland model as a strong example.
"First and foremost, he should meet with the family, listen to them and respect their wishes."
According to the Australian Institute of Criminology, at least 597 First Nations people have died in custody since the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody — Twelve of those deaths have occurred in 2025.
On Monday, Labor MP Marion Scrymgour also criticised the federal government for failing to act on deaths in custody.
Calling for stronger leadership, she said: "Aboriginal people are being completely ostracised and victimised, and people are dying.
Senator Thorpe argued the Prime Minister is ignoring advice not only from the public but also from within his own party by refusing to implement an independent investigation.
"He [the PM] can listen to the thousands of people who rallied across the country over the weekend," she said. "He can listen to the Labor Member for Lingiari and Minister McCarthy — who have both supported an independent investigation.
"Once again, the Prime Minister is undermining members of his own government."
