One of the odder traits of Australian national life is that whenever the spotlight falls on the plight of indigenous Australians mired in the criminal justice system – and it occurs frequently because of their over representation – our political leaders respond in tones of shock and outrage. The latest politician to have the scales fall from his eyes is Malcolm Turnbull, who after viewing disturbing footage on the ABC's Four Corners program on Monday of torture and abuse at Darwin's Don Dale youth detention centre, announced a royal commission into the territory's corrections system. "Like all Australians, we are shocked by the report … deeply shocked," the prime minister intoned on Tuesday. "We need to get all the facts out as swiftly as we can. We need to expose the cultural problems, the administrative problems that allowed this type of mistreatments to occur."
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The image of a hooded youth strapped and shackled to a chair as if awaiting execution was frightful and alarming. Mr Turnbull's expression of horror at such state-sanctioned abuse cannot, therefore, be said to be other than genuine. But his claim to be shocked by it and to "want to know how this came about" is utterly fantastical.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, the key finding of which was that the deaths under review were due to a combination of the high numbers of indigenous people being arrested and incarcerated and of police and prisons failing their duty of care. That landmark inquiry set the foundation for national efforts to "close the gap" between indigenous and non-indigenous Australia. Despite the promises of betterment and reform, progress has been slow to non-existent, unforgivably so given the monotonous regularity of wake-up calls from parliamentary committees, NGOs, academics, and interested bystanders.
In 2009, for example, the Senate Select Committee on Regional and Remote Indigenous Communities recommended the "Commonwealth take a more active role in driving reform". The then Labor government responded that it was working "closely with state and territory governments … to develop a comprehensive national approach".
If Mr Turnbull's response to what occurred at Don Dale youth detention in August 2014 invites cynicism, it is as nothing compared to the chicanery of Adam Giles. The abuse occurred a year after Mr Giles became NT chief minster – and it was the subject of two official inquiries. His claim, therefore, to be shocked and disgusted by the footage rings very hollow. Rather than sacking corrections minister John Elferink – a hollow gesture since he's not contesting the next territory election – Mr Giles should have resigned himself.
The NT juvenile justice system mess is a direct corollary of the dysfunction of Territory government, and when Mr Turnbull recovers from his shock he ought to makes this a prime focus of his royal commission.
