A federal inquiry into racism has heard damning evidence of entrenched bias within Australia’s public institutions, revealing how systemic discrimination continues to impact child protection, policing, and the daily lives of First Nations people.

The final day of public hearings, held in Naarm/Melbourne, painted a sobering picture of a growing tide of prejudice. Witnesses warned that the current social climate has become so hostile that some Indigenous children are now fearful of publicly identifying with their heritage.

A Rising Tide of Grassroots Prejudice

Advocates told the Senate committee that racism is escalating at the community level, fueled by recent public debates and online hostility. Aunty Muriel Bamblett, chief executive of the Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency, testified that young people are increasingly facing discrimination in schools, sports, and online spaces.

"We are seeing rising racism in sport and at the grassroots level," Bamblett said. She noted that negative stereotypes on social media and television are actively turning young people away from embracing their culture. "They don't want to identify. They don't want to acknowledge that they're Aboriginal because of the racism that's out there in society."

Bamblett also pointed to the 2023 Voice to Parliament referendum as a catalyst for "untold harm," noting that even private community events, such as Stolen Generations healing gatherings, have faced hostility and attacks away from the public eye.

Systemic Failures in Child Protection

The inquiry turned a sharp lens on the nation's child protection systems, with legal and community leaders describing a system rife with racial bias. Nerita Waight, representing the national peak body for Aboriginal legal services (NATSILS), detailed instances where Indigenous mothers have had newborns removed at birth based on outdated or biased assessments.

"We often have Aboriginal mums who are having babies ripped away at the moment of birth," Waight testified, criticizing the lack of stability for children in care. She urged the federal government to use its constitutional powers to nationally enshrine the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle, ensuring children in out-of-home care remain connected to their families and culture.

Catherine Liddle, head of the national peak body for Indigenous children (SNAICC), supported this call, sharing a harrowing account of a baby removed and sent to Darwin who could not speak English and had no access to carers who spoke their language. Liddle argued that systemic issues like poverty and overcrowded housing are routinely mischaracterized by government departments as parental neglect.

Failed by Law Enforcement

First Nations women facing domestic violence are also being severely let down by systemic bias, the inquiry heard. Darlene Thomas from the family violence specialist service Djirra testified that police frequently ignore reports of violence from Indigenous women or fail to investigate breaches of intervention orders.

"Aboriginal women are often not believed because they don't present as the perfect victim," Thomas said, adding that law enforcement officers regularly believe non-Indigenous male perpetrators over victims. "We don't call this misidentification. We call this racial targeting."

Debate Over 'Closing the Gap'

With nearly 1,000 submissions received by the inquiry, committee members debated the best path forward to dismantle institutional barriers. Donnella Mills, lead convenor of the Coalition of Peaks, argued that the National Closing the Gap Agreement remains the best framework to address structural racism, provided community-controlled organizations receive long-term funding and genuine decision-making power.

However, committee member Senator Lidia Thorpe strongly challenged the effectiveness of the initiative, pointing out that several key targets have worsened nationally. Thorpe described the Closing the Gap targets as "an absolute joke" to families dealing directly with deaths in custody, child removals, and homelessness.

The inquiry continues to compile its findings, with advocates calling for urgent legislative reform to hold public institutions, including police forces and welfare agencies, accountable for systemic racism.