Second Reading Speech on re-instating the permit system.
Date: 17 September 2008
I realise that my speech on the Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (Emergency Response Consolidation) Bill 2008 will be interrupted as we move to the MPI at 12.45 pm but I would ask that senators on the crossbench take a more balanced view about what they are hearing today. I appreciate the contribution of Senator Xenophon this morning and I understand and want to concur that the pressure of being an Independent senator in this place is probably great. But I would ask that Senator Xenophon and Senator Fielding have a very close look at the history of the permit system and the history of the Northern Territory emergency response.
I know Senator Scullion’s understanding of the Northern Territory, perhaps, is a little misguided in respect to his views when it comes to this legislation. Senator Scullion, along with a former colleague of his who was in the House of Representatives up until the last election, have always come from a position that they would like to see the permit system abolished. In fact they would like to take a step further. They would like the Northern Territory Land Rights Act handed back to the Northern Territory government. In analysing the facts of this legislation we need to have a look at some of the history and political philosophies of the senators concerned. Senator Bernardi, I listened this morning to your contribution and wonder how many Northern Territory Indigenous communities you have visited since last November and on what basis you come to this chamber with a knowledge of facts and understanding after having talked to Indigenous communities and Indigenous traditional owners.
Everybody today keeps referring to the Little children are sacred report which was another report in a line of many that highlighted problems in Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. Senator Scullion, you raised the fact that it is important to read the Little children are sacred report and I hope you have done that. If you have you would see that the very first recommendation talks about immediately establishing a collaborative partnership with a memorandum of understanding between the Australian and the Northern Territory governments and of course the communities concerned. The first recommendation says:
It is critical that both governments commit to genuine consultation ...
‘Consultation’ means talking and listening with people, not dictating from Canberra or dictating from the now opposition and ‘genuine’ means with some sense of sincerity, sympathy and empathy.
... genuine consultation with Aboriginal people in designing initiatives for Aboriginal communities.
Prior to last year’s federal election and in the many years, and particularly the months and weeks, leading up to that election in the Northern Territory we visited many Aboriginal communities which we do as part of our day-to-day work. Minister Snowdon and I spend many days on the road going to those communities. We are engaged in a series of consultations with Indigenous people. The one thing they wanted us to do when we got into government was to reinstate the permit system. As a result of our genuine consultation with Indigenous people that is what they asked us to do. In my speech I will outline why they asked us to do that and their reasons for it.
We took that to the last federal election. We took that as a policy position of the federal Labor government. You only need to look at the results in the Northern Territory remote communities, in particular the 72 communities affected by the Northern Territory emergency response, to see that overwhelmingly there was support for the Labor Party. If my memory serves me correctly some 94 per cent of the vote in Wadeye was for the Labor Party. Around 92 per cent of the vote in places like Galiwinku were for the Labor Party and in each and every booth, overwhelmingly, Indigenous people supported the Labor Party and endorsed us becoming the next federal government, which we have.
Debate interrupted.