Cathy O'Toole (Herbert, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is with great sadness and respect that I rise in this place today, International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, on what is first-nation peoples' land and will always be first-nation peoples' land. In doing so, I want to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land upon which we stand, the Ngunnawal people, and I would like to pay my respects to their elders past, present and emerging. I would also like to acknowledge the Galiwinku people, the traditional owners of Arnhem Land—the land from which Dr G Yunupingu came—and pay my respects to their leaders past, present and emerging.

On 26 July 2017, Australia lost a truly remarkable man who was an Australian legend and who was also a first-nation man. We lost a first-nation man whose voice was unique—a voice that crossed boundaries, a voice that sent a very powerful message about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights, and a voice and a message that will live on into eternity. I, like so many others, was deeply touched by the ethereal voice of Dr G Yunupingu. It was only last Saturday morning that I heard a rendition of Amazing Grace, which is one of my favourite songs, on the radio, and he was singing and playing. He rose to fame with Yothu Yindi, and went on to have a very successful solo career.

Born blind, Dr G Yunupingu first picked up a guitar at the age of six and, incredibly—being left-handed—he learned to play it upside down. His unique voice spawned a career that saw him sell more than half a million albums recorded in his native Yolngu language; and perform for audiences around the world, including Queen Elizabeth II and former US President Barack Obama. Having hit triple platinum in Australia and silver in the UK, having charted in multiple other countries across the globe and having won a string of ARIA awards, Dr G Yunupingu is the highest selling first-nation artist in history and one of the most important figures in Australian music.

Many people will remember Dr G Yunupingu for his extraordinary, amazing voice, but his community will also remember him for his strong activism. We pay our respects to a man who was famous in the music world internationally but who was also denied a ride in a taxi because of the colour of his skin. Dr G Yunupingu gave back to his community, as he was the driving force behind the G Yunupingu Foundation, creating opportunities for youth across the Northern Territory. Given Dr G Yunupingu's strong activism and hard work for first-nation peoples' rights, it would be unjust of me to stand in this place and not continue speaking on the fight for first-nation peoples' rights and recognition.

The loss of Australia's most prominent musician, Dr G Yunupingu, to kidney disease has shone a light on what some doctors are describing as a largely preventable renal health nightmare afflicting remote communities. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are up to seven times more likely to need treatment for chronic illnesses than non-Indigenous Australians, and the inequality in transplants is horrifying. It is 25 years since former Prime Minister Paul Keating's infamous and moving Redfern speech, where he compared a non-Indigenous patient in Surry Hills, Sydney, and a first-nation patient of the same age and illness in Redfern, right next door: the first-nation patient had a third of a chance of a kidney transplant. This fact is a blemish on governments and our health systems. More than 25 years on, as elected representatives we must have an honest look in the mirror and reflect upon what genuine change has occurred in closing the gap for our first-nation people.

I am proud to represent the Herbert electorate, which has a large first-nation population and includes Palm Island—one of the largest discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia. Dr Yunupingu's passing is a time to reflect on the first-nation community that I represent and the inequality that the Palm Island community faces. Access to health services is harder for the Bwgcolman people than for people on the mainland. Unemployment rates are significantly higher; access to housing is incredibly difficult; and the cost of living is astronomical, as is the case in most communities in the Northern Territory. As elected representatives we must do more for our first-nation people. If we say that we are an inclusive community, then we must actually acknowledge that there are communities being left behind—communities that need to be engaged and respected to move forward in a positive and meaningful way.

To lose an Australian legend at age 46 to an illness that could have been prevented is completely unacceptable, especially when it is related to the colour of his skin and the location of his community and home. This is a national tragedy. What is even sadder is that this has not just happened once; it is happening today. Whilst we pay due respect to an Australian legend who happened to be a first-nation man and had a voice that was truly extraordinary, we must also remember to commit to addressing the health inequality in this country. As elected representatives we must listen to and work with our first-nation communities. We must strive every day to ensure we are closing the gap on inequality for our first-nation people.

I pay deep respect and offer my sympathy to Dr G Yunupingu's family. May his legacy, through his voice, song and message, live on.

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