Mal Brough (Longman, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

It is sad that the honourable member opposite does not want to hear what his own party has to say about this particular issue. This consultation has gone on for nine years, and the only people who seem to continually have their head in the sand are some of those who sit opposite. And I deliberately use the word ‘some’ because some people, like the President of the ALP, see that in the past it has failed and a new way is needed and that being part of the market economy and having the right to own your own home should apply right across Australia. But the Labor Party, in a statement on 13 June, said, ‘Labor will not support the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Amendment Bill in its current form.’ The most controversial part of the bill includes the 99-year leasing provisions. There is nothing controversial about giving Aboriginal Australians the same rights the rest of us have and have had for a very long time. I ask the federal Australian Labor Party to support their Territorian colleagues, get their head out of the sand and support Australian Aboriginals having the same rights as the rest of us.

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