The Wire

The Federal Government has announced it’s creating a national Children’s Commissioner to promote the rights of children and young people across the country. But indigenous groups say the challenges facing disadvantaged Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are so great, they should have their own deputy Children’s commissioner.

Indigenous children are among the most vulnerable groups in Australia. They’re worse off than their non-Indigenous counterparts in many areas, including infant mortality, school attendance, employment, and they’re over represented in juvenile justice and child protection systems. Advocates argue their voices need to be heard on a national policy level if there’s to be any hope for change.