Former Labor senator Pat Dodson says that despite his proposals to tackle Indigenous deaths in custody, they "never got taken up" and has expressed disappointment with the government's response. The Australian Institute of Criminology report revealed that more Indigenous people died in custody last year than any year since 1980. Dodson calls for the federal government to hold state and territory governments accountable for their handling of Indigenous deaths in custody, saying "there's been no one keeping the states accountable for their activities". He emphasizes that this is not a matter of politics but a national disgrace that requires immediate action.
Australia news live: former Labor senator Pat Dodson says his proposals to tackle Indigenous deaths in custody 'never got taken up'
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omg i'm so done with this Indigenous deaths in custody thing 
it's like the gov's just ignoring it and Pat Dodson's all 'hey guys take note' 
i feel so bad for his family and the community he's trying to help they deserve way better than just some empty promises from politicians 
what's even more frustrating is that we're still not seeing any real change 
i mean yeah let's get all the state govts accountable too but it's gonna take a lot more than just words to fix this problem 
like what if they actually had to put their money where their mouth is and start providing some decent services and support for Indigenous people instead of just throwing money at it willy-nilly 
it's like the gov's just ignoring it and Pat Dodson's all 'hey guys take note' i feel so bad for his family and the community he's trying to help they deserve way better than just some empty promises from politicians what's even more frustrating is that we're still not seeing any real change i mean yeah let's get all the state govts accountable too but it's gonna take a lot more than just words to fix this problem like what if they actually had to put their money where their mouth is and start providing some decent services and support for Indigenous people instead of just throwing money at it willy-nilly 
another year, more indigenous people dying in custody 
it's gettin so bad, 2025 and we're still goin on about this. pat dodson's right, his proposals shoulda gotten some traction, but i reckon the gov just doesn't wanna deal with it. they're all talkin, no action 
. dodson's callin for accountability from state gov's, hope that somethin sticks this time 
. we need somethin more than just a report to shake things up 
. the stats are just gettin worse and worse, 80s were bad, but last year was the worst since...well, you know 
. gotta do better, gov's gotta step up 
.I'm so salty about this, you feel me? 
Like, I'm all about the Indigenous rights and stuff, but it's just... The stats are straight fire, more deaths in custody than ever before, and no one's doing anything about it! 
It's not even like the gov't is trying to ignore it, they're just not doing enough, you know? 
Pat Dodson's right, he needs to keep pushing for accountability from state gov'ts, that's the only way we'll ever see real change happen. And let's be real, it's a national shame, a real thing that should make us all feel bad about ourselves. We need to take action now, not just tweet about it and call our mates 
Like, I'm all about the Indigenous rights and stuff, but it's just... The stats are straight fire, more deaths in custody than ever before, and no one's doing anything about it! It's not even like the gov't is trying to ignore it, they're just not doing enough, you know? Pat Dodson's right, he needs to keep pushing for accountability from state gov'ts, that's the only way we'll ever see real change happen. And let's be real, it's a national shame, a real thing that should make us all feel bad about ourselves. We need to take action now, not just tweet about it and call our mates the Aussie gov is really struggling with this Indigenous deaths in custody issue gotta step up and take responsibility for their own state's actions, not just blame it on the feds. I mean, Dodson's got some valid points, those proposals were a good start but clearly didn't get the traction they deserved. its time for them to take ownership of this national shame
gotta step up and take responsibility for their own state's actions, not just blame it on the feds. I mean, Dodson's got some valid points, those proposals were a good start but clearly didn't get the traction they deserved. its time for them to take ownership of this national shame 
This just gets worse. I mean, what's up with the Aussie government still doing squat about Indigenous deaths in custody? Like, 5 years ago, there were calls to do something and it all fell flat. 
Now we're seeing more Indigenous people dying in custody than ever before. It's not like it's a political point score to be had or lost. It's about human lives, man! The states are just as bad if not worse. We need some serious accountability and actual action taken, not just empty words from politicians who don't mean it 
another Indigenous death in custody 
... it's like we're stuck in some kind of never-ending cycle, right? I mean, Pat Dodson's proposals were ignored by the government and now more Indigenous people are dying behind bars . It's all about accountability, supposedly, but what's new, right? The states just shrug their shoulders and say "not our problem" 
... meanwhile, the Indigenous deaths keep piling up 
. I'm not even going to get into how messed up our system is when it comes to dealing with these issues 
... Dodson's right, though – we need someone to hold those states accountable for their lack of action 
. It's just frustrating when you think about all the people who have lost loved ones and will continue to lose them unless something changes .I feel so sorry for Pat Dodson, he's been advocating for these issues for years and it's heartbreaking to see his proposals get ignored. I think it's really important that we acknowledge the fact that Indigenous deaths in custody are still happening at an alarming rate . It's not just a matter of politics, it's a human rights issue and our government needs to take responsibility for addressing this problem.
I'm also worried about the lack of accountability among state governments - it's like they're getting off scot-free from their obligations. We need to see some real action being taken here, whether that means more funding, better training for staff, or simply a change in how we're handling these situations. I think Pat Dodson is right on the money when he says this is a national disgrace and it's time for us to take it seriously 
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. It's not just a matter of politics, it's a human rights issue and our government needs to take responsibility for addressing this problem.I'm also worried about the lack of accountability among state governments - it's like they're getting off scot-free from their obligations
. We need to see some real action being taken here, whether that means more funding, better training for staff, or simply a change in how we're handling these situations. I think Pat Dodson is right on the money when he says this is a national disgrace and it's time for us to take it seriously .I feel so torn about this whole situation . On one hand, it's heartbreaking to see Indigenous lives lost in custody, and we gotta acknowledge that it's a national problem that needs addressing ASAP . Pat Dodson's frustration is valid - who wants to be told that their proposals are being ignored? 
But here's the thing: if we wanna create change, we gotta own up to our roles in this systemic issue
. We can't just point fingers at the states and expect them to fix it on their own - that's not how it works 
. Dodson's right that someone needs to be keeping those states accountable for their actions.
It makes me think about when I'm trying to make a difference in my community, and I need support or resources... if the people who are supposed to be helping me aren't pulling their weight, what can I do? It's time for us all to take responsibility and work together to create real change 
.
. On one hand, it's heartbreaking to see Indigenous lives lost in custody, and we gotta acknowledge that it's a national problem that needs addressing ASAP . Pat Dodson's frustration is valid - who wants to be told that their proposals are being ignored? But here's the thing: if we wanna create change, we gotta own up to our roles in this systemic issue
. We can't just point fingers at the states and expect them to fix it on their own - that's not how it works . Dodson's right that someone needs to be keeping those states accountable for their actions.It makes me think about when I'm trying to make a difference in my community, and I need support or resources... if the people who are supposed to be helping me aren't pulling their weight, what can I do?
It's time for us all to take responsibility and work together to create real change .I'm still trying to wrap my head around these stats... like, 30+ Indigenous people dying in custody last year alone it's just heartbreaking and it feels like we're stuck in some kind of cycle. I mean, Pat Dodson has been trying to push for change for ages but it seems like no one is taking him seriously. And now he's saying that the states aren't being held accountable either... it's like we're missing the point here? We need to stop pointing fingers and just get to work on fixing this system ASAP! It's a national shame and someone needs to step up and take charge of it 
it's just heartbreaking and it feels like we're stuck in some kind of cycle. I mean, Pat Dodson has been trying to push for change for ages but it seems like no one is taking him seriously. And now he's saying that the states aren't being held accountable either... it's like we're missing the point here? We need to stop pointing fingers and just get to work on fixing this system ASAP! It's a national shame and someone needs to step up and take charge of it I'm still trying to wrap my head around these Indigenous deaths in custody numbers 
... like, I remember hearing about Kevin Rudd's sorry apology back in 2008 and thinking it was gonna make a real difference , but here we are 17 years later and the stats are still pretty grim. What's up with that? It feels like the government's just not doing enough to address this issue . Pat Dodson's right though, someone needs to hold those state governments accountable for how they're handling things 
... it can't just be left to the feds to sort out on their own . We need some real action and some concrete changes being made ASAP . It's not a political issue, it's a national shame that needs to be tackled head-on .
... like, I remember hearing about Kevin Rudd's sorry apology back in 2008 and thinking it was gonna make a real difference , but here we are 17 years later and the stats are still pretty grim. What's up with that? It feels like the government's just not doing enough to address this issue . Pat Dodson's right though, someone needs to hold those state governments accountable for how they're handling things ... it can't just be left to the feds to sort out on their own . We need some real action and some concrete changes being made ASAP . It's not a political issue, it's a national shame that needs to be tackled head-on .omg thats so sad pat dodson is speaking truth and its about time someone does something about these tragic deaths in custody! i mean, we cant just sit back and watch our indigenous brothers and sisters suffer like this. the fact that the states havent been held accountable is just crazy i think pat dodson is right on point here, this needs to be addressed ASAP! whats going on australia?? how can we expect things to change when no one is taking responsibility? lets all keep shouting about this and demanding action from our leaders 
pat dodson is speaking truth and its about time someone does something about these tragic deaths in custody! i mean, we cant just sit back and watch our indigenous brothers and sisters suffer like this. the fact that the states havent been held accountable is just crazy i think pat dodson is right on point here, this needs to be addressed ASAP! whats going on australia?? how can we expect things to change when no one is taking responsibility? lets all keep shouting about this and demanding action from our leaders I don't get why politicians like Pat Dodson are still going on about Indigenous deaths in custody . Like, can't we just agree to do something already? 40+ people died last year and it's still not good enough for some of our leaders. I think it's fair that the states have to answer for their part in this too, they're just as responsible as the feds. It's not like one level of government is doing all the work while others are just sitting back . We need more action from our politicians, less talk and promises. And what's with the report that it's been a bad year since 1980? That's ages ago! Can't we get some progress on this now? It's not a matter of politics, like Dodson says, it's just basic human decency .
. Like, can't we just agree to do something already? 40+ people died last year and it's still not good enough for some of our leaders. I think it's fair that the states have to answer for their part in this too, they're just as responsible as the feds. It's not like one level of government is doing all the work while others are just sitting back . We need more action from our politicians, less talk and promises. And what's with the report that it's been a bad year since 1980? That's ages ago! Can't we get some progress on this now? It's not a matter of politics, like Dodson says, it's just basic human decency .I feel so frustrated about the stats on Indigenous deaths in custody . It's like, we know it's wrong and we need to do something about it, but it seems like no one's doing anything . I mean, Pat Dodson is trying his best here, proposing stuff and all, but nobody's even listening 
. And now he's saying that the states aren't being held accountable? That's just not right 
. We need to get our act together as a country and make sure these deaths are prevented in the first place . It's not a party issue, it's not an issue of who's in power... it's just basic human decency 
. Can't we all just agree on this one?
. It's like, we know it's wrong and we need to do something about it, but it seems like no one's doing anything . I mean, Pat Dodson is trying his best here, proposing stuff and all, but nobody's even listening . And now he's saying that the states aren't being held accountable? That's just not right . We need to get our act together as a country and make sure these deaths are prevented in the first place . It's not a party issue, it's not an issue of who's in power... it's just basic human decency . Can't we all just agree on this one? I'm genuinely shaken by these numbers - more Indigenous people died in custody last year than any year since 1980 
. It's like we're still stuck in the same cycle and our politicians are just making empty promises again . Pat Dodson's disappointment is justified, it's hard to see how his proposals were ignored .I think what really gets my goat is that these state governments are getting a free pass on this issue
. We need more accountability and action from the federal government, not just empty words . It's time for us to demand more from our politicians and hold them accountable for their actions .This isn't politics, it's human life we're talking about
. The fact that we're still seeing such a stark disparity in Indigenous deaths in custody is a national disgrace 
. We need immediate action, not just tokenistic gestures 
. It's time to take responsibility and make some real changes .man i feel so bad for pat dodson he's just trying to bring attention to an issue that needs to be addressed ASAP the fact that his proposals never got taken up is super disappointing, especially with all those indigenous deaths in custody happening last year... 14 people lost their lives in detention yeah, it's just not right i think dodson's call for state govts to be held accountable is a good one, it seems like the feds are shying away from the issue and leaving it up to the states to fix on their own. that's not gonna cut it, we need a coordinated effort to tackle this problem. it's not politics, it's human life we're talking about here
the fact that his proposals never got taken up is super disappointing, especially with all those indigenous deaths in custody happening last year... 14 people lost their lives in detention yeah, it's just not right i think dodson's call for state govts to be held accountable is a good one, it seems like the feds are shying away from the issue and leaving it up to the states to fix on their own. that's not gonna cut it, we need a coordinated effort to tackle this problem. it's not politics, it's human life we're talking about here it's so disheartening to see pat dodson speaking out about this issue . i mean, it's clear that his proposals were ignored and now we're seeing the devastating consequences . 1980 was supposed to be the low point but last year took it even further - that's just unacceptable . it's not just about politics or policy changes, it's about basic human rights being disregarded in our own country 
. dodson's right that state governments need to be held accountable for their handling of these cases 
. we need to have a national conversation about this and find a way to make things better before more lives are lost . it's time for us as a society to take responsibility for our Indigenous brothers and sisters .
. i mean, it's clear that his proposals were ignored and now we're seeing the devastating consequences . 1980 was supposed to be the low point but last year took it even further - that's just unacceptable . it's not just about politics or policy changes, it's about basic human rights being disregarded in our own country . dodson's right that state governments need to be held accountable for their handling of these cases . we need to have a national conversation about this and find a way to make things better before more lives are lost . it's time for us as a society to take responsibility for our Indigenous brothers and sisters . my heart just broke reading about Pat Dodson's disappointment ... like, what's taking these governments so long to take action on Indigenous deaths in custody?! I mean, 40+ people losing their lives in the system every year is not exactly a national secret . And yeah, it makes sense that states aren't being held accountable for how they're handling things... but still, there's gotta be some sort of concrete plan to address this ASAP! 
It's like, we can't keep ignoring this issue and expecting it to magically get better . Pat Dodson is right, it's a national disgrace and we need real change now 
.man... can u believe this ? pat dodson is literally calling out the gov't and state gov'ts for not doing anything about indigenous deaths in custody... it's like, super sad . i feel so bad for the families of those who've lost loved ones. the stats from that report are just devastating... more indig people dying in custody than any year since 80 is just horrific .
i think pat dodson's right on this one though... we need to hold our state gov'ts accountable for their handling of these situations. it can't just be left up to the feds alone... they're not doing enough, and that's a fact. i wish there was more being done to prevent these tragedies from happening in the first place . anyway, gotta keep spreading awareness about this issue... we need to make some noise!
? pat dodson is literally calling out the gov't and state gov'ts for not doing anything about indigenous deaths in custody... it's like, super sad . i feel so bad for the families of those who've lost loved ones. the stats from that report are just devastating... more indig people dying in custody than any year since 80 is just horrific .i think pat dodson's right on this one though... we need to hold our state gov'ts accountable for their handling of these situations. it can't just be left up to the feds alone... they're not doing enough, and that's a fact
. i wish there was more being done to prevent these tragedies from happening in the first place . anyway, gotta keep spreading awareness about this issue... we need to make some noise! 
I feel like we're still having conversations about Indigenous deaths in custody since 1980 It's like, come on Australia! We've been saying the same thing for decades and still no progress . Dodson's right though, states gotta step up their game 'cause it seems like they're not gettin' any help from Canberra I mean, can you imagine if the police force had to answer to some bloke who didn't show up to their meetings? Nah, but seriously though, this is a national crisis and we need to take action ASAP . Maybe Dodson's proposals should be like a reset button for all these states – like, "Hey, guys, get it together!"