Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion has apologised for not being more aware of abuses of young people in Darwin's youth detention centre and assuming the Northern Territory government was dealing with complaints.
"I'm sorry I wasn't aware of the full circumstances that were exposed this week," Senator Scullion said at the Garma festival in Arnhem Land on Saturday.
"I must be better informed about such matters, particularly when the vast majority of youths held in detention in the NT are indigenous."
He was sorry he had accepted advice that the NT corrections minister was responding to concerns raised about abuse of youth detainees and said he had committed to better monitoring all state and territory governments.
"Every person in our justice system must be treated with humanity and respect at all times; there can never be any excuse for authorities entrusted with the welfare of children held in custody meting out brutality to these same children," Senator Scullion said.
He said he was pleased the prime minister had acted so swiftly to establish a royal commission.
"This needs to be an open and transparent and forensic inquiry that shines a bright light on what occurred and why they were concealed for so long," he said.
"It's important the failures of the Don Dale youth detention centre are identified, as well as the causes of these failures, to provide lessons for all correctional institutions in Australia to ensure they are never repeated."
But he stopped short of endorsing Opposition Leader Bill Shorten's call for indigenous commissioners to be appointed.
"Of course the royal commission will have the capacity to ensure that we have a great deal of indigenous connection but that is really a matter for the (attorney-general) and prime minster," he said.
When asked whether the government would now fund youth diversion and prevention programs to stop kids ending up in detention, Senator Scullion said there are 250 properties across the country which could be offered as alternatives to detention.
"Prison and detention and children do not mix, (but) I don't think it's reasonable to say we don't have things on the go and aren't developing alternative methods; we need more," he said.
