Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the Northern Territory government must be more "inclusive" to achieve better outcomes for Indigenous people, as he met with the family of Kumanjayi Little Baby.
Five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby disappeared from the Old Timers Town Camp outside Mparntwe/Alice Springs on April 25. Her body was found five days later. Jefferson Lewis, 47 — who is not related to Kumanjayi Little Baby and had no role in her care — has been charged with her murder and two other offences.
On Wednesday, the PM met with the family, saying the visit was an "opportunity to say thank you" to everyone involved in the search for the five-year-old, but was "mainly an opportunity just to say to the family ... they are not alone".
"This is a young person lost far too early under circumstances that are unbearable," he said. "They are trying to bear their way through this with dignity, with respect ... It will remain something that is with them forever."
Mr Albanese noted the family are "proud of their much-loved daughter and granddaughter, of who she was, but also that sense of regret that she won't get to be the young woman and woman that she should have become".
"They're going through a grieving process, and they've asked to be able to do that with respect."
Along with meeting the family, the PM attended meetings with representatives from Tangentyere Council, Alice Springs Hospital, Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, St John's Ambulance, and NT Police.
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Since Kumanjayi Little Baby's death, the NT Government has announced an inquiry into the child protection system — to be led by two non-Indigenous former public servants — as well as proposed legislative changes that experts argue would significantly weaken the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle (ATSICPP).
Earlier this month, NT Child Protection Minister Robyn Cahill said three child protection workers had been stood down after concerns were raised about circumstances in the weeks leading up to the five-year-old's disappearance and death.
It has been reported there were six notifications regarding her welfare, although there is no evidence any of those notifications were substantiated. Two of the workers were reportedly reinstated the following day.
Despite calls from the family not to politicise her death, politicians have used the case to highlight the need for major changes in town camps, while others have argued culture has been prioritised over child safety — claims strongly rejected by organisations working with First Nations families.
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The PM said all levels of government needed to work together to bring about systemic improvements for Indigenous communities, arguing "Indigenous people need to be treated with respect at this time, particularly the family and local people".
"Every child has the right to be safe and to enjoy a quality of life free from danger, and that is what we want to see right across the board," he said.
"I would say to all involved that they need to make sure that they work together. This is a time where what I want to see is the different levels of government coming together with the community in the same way that the community has come together itself."
Mr Albanese was also asked about concerns regarding policy changes introduced by the NT Government. The government has been accused by Indigenous, legal and human rights groups of disregarding Indigenous voices as it fast-tracks policies that have contributed to soaring incarceration rates in the Territory.
The government has remained largely unrepentant, despite threats of Commonwealth funding penalties — with Canberra providing about 80 per cent of the Territory's funding — arguing it is delivering on its electoral mandate.
"I would say to the Northern Territory government," the PM told journalists, "that you'll get better outcomes if you have an inclusive approach and you have buy-in to these issues, and that's why that consultation and engagement is so important.
"We want to see, though, outcomes which are appropriate. We do think that everything possible should be done, of course, to keep children safe. That's the No.1 priority."
