Western Australian Aboriginal Affairs Minister Don Punch has accused Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas of “exploiting vulnerable Aboriginal people” for political gain, as he pushed back against a petition demanding his resignation from cabinet. The petition, launched on Monday and backed by prominent Aboriginal elder Dr Robert Isaacs, comes after revelations of child protection failures involving families in the state’s north-west.
Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas visited South Hedland and criticised Punch for his handling of the crisis, which he said has “played out on the national stage, with Aboriginal elders and families crying out for help”. “I went to South Hedland, visited Frisby Court, spoke to the elders and witnessed first-hand a community desperate for leadership and answers,” Zempilas said. He also highlighted Punch’s parliamentary attendance, noting that the minister had missed two of four sitting weeks since the crisis erupted and had been absent from one-in-five Question Times in the past year.
Punch, speaking from Hedland, described Zempilas’s actions as “making a football of Aboriginal people” and “appalling behaviour”. He said the opposition leader was more interested in headlines than genuine conversation. Punch insisted that Aboriginal issues should be above politics and said he had been lobbying for better outcomes in housing, health, education and child protection. He also suggested that Zempilas’s real motive was to win his seat of Bunbury, which Punch called a bellwether seat and said Zempilas could not become premier without winning.
The backdrop to the dispute includes a series of reports by The Australian that revealed more than a dozen children were living unsupervised and in squalor in South Hedland, leading to an investigation by WA’s top child protection worker. There have also been growing calls for a coroner’s inquest into the deaths of three children at the hands of their mother in Port Hedland in 2022. Attorney General Tony Buti initially said new evidence was needed, but an inquest has since been ordered.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- This dispute highlights the political fallout from child protection failures affecting Aboriginal communities in Western Australia.
- It shows how the welfare of vulnerable children becomes a political battleground between state parties.
- The outcome of the petition could affect Minister Punch’s career and the government’s approach to Aboriginal affairs.
Background
The WA Aboriginal Affairs portfolio has been under scrutiny since reports emerged of children in South Hedland living unsupervised and in squalid conditions, prompting an investigation by the state’s top child protection worker. There have also been calls for a coroner’s inquest into the deaths of three children at the hands of their mother in Port Hedland in 2022, which Attorney General Tony Buti eventually ordered after new evidence came to light. These events form the backdrop to the petition calling for Minister Don Punch’s resignation.
Key Perspectives
- Don Punch (WA Aboriginal Affairs Minister): Accuses Zempilas of exploiting Aboriginal people for political gain, and says the opposition leader’s real target is his Bunbury seat.
- Basil Zempilas (WA Opposition Leader): Criticises Punch’s attendance record and his handling of the child protection crisis in the north-west.
- Dr Robert Isaacs (Aboriginal elder): Backed the petition demanding Punch’s resignation, though his specific reasons are not detailed in the report.
What to Watch
- The progress of the petition calling for Don Punch’s resignation from cabinet.
- The outcome of the ordered coroner’s inquest into the three children’s deaths in Port Hedland.
- Potential further criticism of Punch’s attendance record and handling of the Aboriginal affairs portfolio.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedPunch accused Zempilas of exploiting vulnerable Aboriginal people for political gain.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Punch has accused Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas of “exploiting vulnerable Aboriginal people” to score political goals”
- SupportedA petition demanding Punch’s resignation from cabinet was launched on Monday and backed by Dr Robert Isaacs.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “a petition demanding the Bunbury MP’s resignation from cabinet. The petition, launched on Monday, is backed by prominent Aboriginal elder Dr Robert Isaacs”
- SupportedThe petition followed revelations of child protection failures involving families in WA’s north-west.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Punch’s performance in his Aboriginal affairs portfolio has come under intense scrutiny in recent months following the revelation of a series of child protection failures relating to families in the state’s north-west.”
- SupportedZempilas visited South Hedland and criticised Punch’s response to the crisis.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Zempilas took aim at the Bunbury MLA over his response to a crisis”
- SupportedZempilas said the crisis had “played out on the national stage, with Aboriginal elders and families crying out for help”.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “a crisis that has “played out on the national stage, with Aboriginal elders and families crying out for help”.”
- SupportedZempilas said he visited Frisby Court, spoke to elders and witnessed a community desperate for leadership and answers.Brisbane Times - Latest News: ““I went to South Hedland, visited Frisby Court, spoke to the elders and witnessed first-hand a community desperate for leadership and answers,” Zempilas said.”
- SupportedPunch missed two of four parliamentary sitting weeks since the crisis erupted and one-in-five Question Times in the past 12 months.Brisbane Times - Latest News: ““Don Punch has missed two of the four parliamentary sitting weeks since this crisis erupted. He has also been absent from one-in-five Question Times in the past 12 months.””
- SupportedSpeaking from Hedland, Punch called Zempilas’s actions “making a football of Aboriginal people” and “appalling behaviour”.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “But speaking from Hedland on Monday, Punch accused the opposition leader of “making a football of Aboriginal people”, describing it as “appalling behaviour””
- SupportedPunch said Zempilas was more interested in headlines than genuine conversation.Brisbane Times - Latest News: ““I’ve never seen it before in a leader of the opposition, and it highlights that he’s more interested in a headline than he is in genuine conversation.””
- SupportedPunch said he had been lobbying for better outcomes in housing, health, education and child protection.Brisbane Times - Latest News: ““I’m lobbying for better outcomes for Aboriginal people, whether it’s in housing, whether it’s in health, whether it’s in education, and whether it’s in child protection,” he said.”
- SupportedPunch said Zempilas’s real target was his Bunbury seat, called Bunbury a bellwether seat and said Zempilas could not become premier without winning it.Brisbane Times - Latest News: ““He is clearly after me, and after me means he’s after my seat in Bunbury, and he knows he cannot become premier without winning Bunbury,” he said. “Bunbury is a bellwether seat”
- SupportedThe Australian’s reports said more than a dozen children were living unsupervised and in squalor in South Hedland, prompting an investigation by WA’s top child protection worker.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “It follows a series of reports in The Australian revealed more than a dozen children were living unsupervised and in squalor in South Hedland, prompting an investigation by WA’s top child protection worker .”