<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this story contains the image of a person who is deceased.</span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/kumanjayi-little-baby-death-alice-springs-jacinta-price-reacts-to-death/1ab90812-0c2e-4279-b23a-d9a6c7bced28" rel="" target="" title="Jacinta Nampijinpa Price"><span>Jacinta Nampijinpa Price</span></a><span> has broken down in tears in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/family-of-missing-northern-territory-girl-appeal-for-her-return/dedcab9a-38dc-46d5-9104-ef64b6cee6ea" rel="" target="" title="parliament"><span>parliament</span></a><span>, calling on the government to respond to the challenges facing vulnerable Indigenous children.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>During a Senate condolence motion on Tuesday, she spoke about the tragic death of her five-year-old niece, </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/body-found-in-search-for-missing-northern-territory-girl/d2aa7d07-20a3-4e85-965b-dcae5f71dd4d" rel="" target="" title="Kumanjayi Little Baby"><span>Kumanjayi Little Baby</span></a><span>, in Alice Springs.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I don't want to be here right now, to have to stand in this chamber, to deliver a condolence speech for a little girl in my family," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>Watch the video above.</span></strong></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/kumanjayi-little-baby-northern-territory-government-orders-sweeping-child-protection-review-in-the-wake-of-five-year-olds-death/36f4823b-3b77-4aa8-94e8-cc156bd70bbd" rel="" target="" title="NT government orders independent child protection review"><strong><span>NT government orders independent child protection review</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"She was loved. She should still be here."</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/coalition-frontbencher-jacinta-nampijinpa-price-tribute-niece-kumanjayi-little-baby-senate/b00c442f-1893-4ac0-9f6a-4c20411fa994" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Northern Territory senator said her five-year-old niece's death had devastated her family, but the circumstances surrounding the tragedy were familiar to many people in Central Australia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"And the hardest truth is that for many in my hometown, none of this came as a surprise. But the truth is that people do not want to speak this out loud," Senator Price told the chamber.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In her address, she said governments and institutions avoid difficult conversations about violence, neglect and alcohol abuse in town camps and remote communities.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"For too long in this country, there has been silence around what is happening in too many town camps and remote communities – a silence driven by fear, a fear of causing offence, a fear of being labelled racist," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Vulnerable children are growing up in that silence, and it is killing our babies."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/mourners-gather-at-dozens-of-vigils-to-honour-the-life-of-kumanjayi-little-baby/6a6fdbb7-1449-4ea8-8c13-17892819b7b2" rel="" target="" title=""><strong><span>Mourners gather to honour the life of Kumanjayi Little Baby</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Senator Price also levelled criticism at what she described as a "hands-off culture" inside parts of the child protection system, claiming ideology and political sensitivities had been prioritised ahead of child welfare.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"My niece was a little Australian girl, yet there is an ideology in this country that has deliberately encouraged people to treat children like her differently because of her racial heritage," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's that same ideology that has created a hands-off culture within parts of a child protection system."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Her speech came as the Northern Territory government announced an independent review into the territory's child protection system in response to the five-year-old's alleged murder.</span></div></div><div class="player__video-container"><img alt="" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/FAH00gIJ0KqZapW-iEP1sl0f7ig=/750x0/https%3A%2F%2Fvms-network-images-prod.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com%2F2026%2F05%2F770812%2Fpickerimage.jpg"/></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Robyn Cahill said the review would examine the system "from top to bottom", including legislation, staffing, resources and workplace culture.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Every Territory child deserves to be safe, that is not negotiable," Cahill said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We need to get to the bottom of what's broken and what needs to change."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The review's full terms of reference are due to be released next week.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The government has also confirmed three child protection workers have been stood down while investigators examine the events leading up to the discovery of Kumanjayi Little Baby's body.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>For 24/7 crisis support run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).</span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><strong><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a 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