West Australian Premier Colin Barnett has no objection to publicly releasing footage of a dying 22-year-old Aboriginal woman in custody, but says it is up to the coroner to determine.
Ms Dhu, whose first name is not used for cultural reasons, died two days after being locked up at South Hedland Police Station in August 2014 for unpaid fines totalling $3622, stemming from offences including assaulting an officer.
She died during her third visit in as many days to the Hedland Health Campus from staphylococcal septicaemia and pneumonia, following an infection in her fractured ribs that spread to her lungs.
Ms Dhu's family initially opposed media requests to obtain the security footage from the lock-up, which was repeatedly played during a coronial inquest, but their lawyers later said the family had reconsidered their position and believed it was in the public interest.
However, Coroner Ros Fogliani dismissed the application, saying the footage was distressing and Ms Dhu's privacy outweighed the public interest.
The Senate has supported a joint motion calling on the WA government to publicly release the footage, with Senator Sue Lines saying the family's wishes should be respected.
"Those in the court who attended the inquest have seen the footage and it really should be released," she told ABC radio on Thursday.
"What happened to Ms Dhu says that in our state institutions, in our police force, and other institutions, racism is rife. We have Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over-represented.
"If Ms Dhu was not an Aboriginal person you can bet your bottom dollar there'd be much stronger action that would be taken today."
Premier Colin Barnett said he and the government did not oppose releasing the footage but it was the coroner's decision.
"That footage is in the hands of the coroner. The police, I understand, no longer have it and the primary reason given was to protect Ms Dhu's privacy," he said.
"I don't know what that means but I imagine it's probably fairly horrific footage and perhaps even undignified, I don't know."
Mr Barnett said if the family approached the coroner about it she might reconsider.
Ms Fogliani is expected to deliver her findings from the inquest later this year.
