Former PM Says Cultural Barriers Obstruct Efforts to Tackle Aboriginal Disadvantages

Australia’s former Prime Minister Tony Abbott sits on stage during a discussion with British politicians in Manchester, north-west England, on Oct. 7, 2025. Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty ImagesFormer Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has questioned the cultural approach surrounding the death of Kumanjayi Little Baby, a five-year-old Aboriginal girl from Alice Springs who was murdered in April.Abbott argued that cultural “sensitivities” and non-Indigenous Australians’ reluctance to cross cultural boundaries are hindering discussion and insight on Aboriginal disadvantage.