Liberal Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has accused Labor and the Greens of "protecting predators" in remote communities, claiming Australia is "too afraid" to confront the issue of women being 'promised off'.

Her comments, reported by NT News and condemned by Territory Labor MP Chansey Paech, referenced a recent NT Supreme Court case where a 28-year-old man pleaded guilty to raping and impregnating a 13-year-old girl who was promised to him as part of a "family arrangement".

The man told the court he believed the girl was "16 or 17 years old at the time," with the court hearing the two were "identified by other family members as being of the 'right skin' in a cultural sense".

Senator Price said the existence of practices like these is often denied in remote communities and ignored nationally.

"Or women will suggest 'no, no, everything's good' because they're being coerced — they're under cultural practices themselves and so if they speak out of turn there's always threat of violence to women so it's fraught with many issues," she said in comments reported by NT News.

In response, Mr Paech, the NT shadow attorney-general, pointed to the law requiring mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect in the Territory.

"I want to know whether Senator Price has made any mandatory reports about these matters and whether she has raised them directly with the CLP Minister for Child Protection Robyn Cahill or is she simply grandstanding again?" he asked.

Mr Paech, whose electorate of Gwoja covers many remote communities, criticised Senator Price for avoiding scrutiny of the governing Country Liberal Party (CLP).

"Her decision to come out and blame everyone else but her own party is ridiculous," he said.

"The CLP are the ones in government. If she truly believes the system is failing these kids, then we would expect her to meet with the CLP directly to discuss these issues and push for action, not just make political noise."

Royal Commission Debate

Senator Price's comments reflect her long-standing messaging on remote communities, which has been criticised by Indigenous groups.

Following the Voice referendum, then-opposition leader Peter Dutton called for a royal commission into sexual abuse of First Nations children in remote communities— a move widely condemned by Indigenous organisations who argued they were not consulted. At the time, Djirra chief executive Antoinette Braybrook said: "This is not what First Nations people, especially our women, want."

The motion was ultimately defeated.

"And of course Labor and the Greens voted against it," Senator Price said this week.

"I'm absolutely dumbfounded why they continue to do that because ultimately they are protecting predators."

Earlier this year, NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro appeared to cast doubt on the need for a royal commission, saying she had not received "specific reports from police" on abuse in remote communities.

"It is certainly not been put to me that this is where we need to be spending our time and energy," the Territory CLP leader said.

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".

Ahead of the election, Senator Price again promoted a royal commission, one of the few concrete Coalition policy proposals in Indigenous affairs. Country Liberal candidate for Lingiari Lisa Siebert, however, argued the inquiry should be expanded nationwide, not limited to Indigenous communities.

Mr Paech said Senator Price's suggestion that "Aboriginal culture condones the abuse of children" was a harmful myth which had been debunked. He described her remarks as "divisive" and "deeply offensive".

"Comments like this not only vilify our culture but also undermine the hard work being done by families, communities, and frontline workers to protect children and keep them safe," he added.