Sue-Anne Hunter, Australia’s inaugural National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, will Address the National Press Club on “From Crisis to Accountability”.
At the National Press Club, Sue-Anne Hunter, Australia’s inaugural National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, will set out a national agenda for reform and accountability.
As Australia’s first independent statutory National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, Sue-Anne Hunter will use her mandate to elevate children’s voices, influence policy, monitor government’s action and drive accountability for outcomes.
This first National Press Club address since the establishment of the National Commission on 1 July 2026 will outline the National Commissioner’s agenda for reform and her priorities for the years ahead.
She will challenge Australia to judge its governments by the childhoods their decisions make possible: safe, healthy and connected to family, culture and Country, with the freedom to learn, play and shape a future.
Drawing on the evidence from previous inquiries and the voices of children, families and communities across Australia, the National Commissioner will outline a national reform agenda to uphold the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people to be safe, heard, connected to family, culture and Country, and given every opportunity to thrive.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children remain severely over-represented in child protection and youth justice systems and under-represented in culturally safe and accessible services.
The address will challenge governments to move beyond statements of commitment and fragmented approaches and toward coordinated action, transparent reporting and genuine accountability for delivering better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.
BIO
Sue-Anne Hunter is a Wurundjeri and Ngurai Illum Wurrung woman and the inaugural National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People. National Commissioner Hunter was instrumental in the passing of the National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Act 2026 through the Australian Parliament, for the National Commissioner to be enshrined with powers to drive systemic change to protect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people, in effect from 1 July 2026.
As a practised and qualified social worker, National Commissioner Hunter is a recognised leader in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child and family services sector, working tirelessly to champion the rights of First Nations children, young people and families at a national and international level.
National Commissioner Hunter holds a Master of Social Work, a Master Certificate in Trauma from Harvard Medical School and is currently undertaking her PhD at Monash University with a focus on Cultural Safety in Education for First Nations Children.
