Peta Murphy (Dunkley, Australian Labor Party) | Hansard source

I too would like to start my contribution by acknowledging that we stand today on the traditional lands of the Ngunawal and the Ngambri peoples and that, in my community, our land is the land of the Bunurong people of the Kulin nation. I want to particularly acknowledge everyone in my community who is a member of the stolen generations or has family members that were members of the stolen generations, and everyone at Nairm Marr Djambana, the gathering place by the bay, which is our local Indigenous community centre.

On 13 February 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered the apology to Australia's Indigenous peoples. In that apology, Prime Minister Rudd said:

The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia's history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.

Prime Minister Rudd apologised for the laws and policies that had inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these, our fellow Australians, especially for the removal of children. And the consequences of policies and laws of successive governments, of stripping people of culture and family and history for so long and of stripping them of country, mean that the grief, suffering and loss continues. The gap, on so many measures that are so important, between First Nations Australians and those of us who came here much later is still much closer to a chasm than a crack.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd ended the apology by saying:

A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia.

As my friend the member for Jagajaga said, that next chapter is clear. It is the generous and beautiful Uluru Statement from the Heart. It is delivering voice, delivering truth and delivering treaty. Too often people talk about the Uluru Statement from the Heart without understanding the beauty of what's in it and what it is asking for, so I want to quote the Uluru statement. It states:

We seek constitutional reforms to empower our people and take a rightful place in our own country. When we have power over our destiny our children will flourish. They will walk in two worlds and their culture will be a gift to their country.

We call for the establishment of a First Nations Voice enshrined in the Constitution.

Makarrata is the culmination of our agenda: the coming together after a struggle. It captures our aspirations for a fair and truthful relationship with the people of Australia and a better future for our children based on justice and self-determination.

We seek a Makarrata Commission to supervise a process of agreement-making between governments and First Nations and truth-telling about our history.

In 1967 we were counted, in 2017 we seek to be heard. We leave base camp and start our trek across this vast country. We invite you to walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better future.

That trek that started in 2017 is still going. It has faced some barriers, and I am sure there will be more barriers to come. I make this pledge: I accept that generous invitation to walk in a movement of the Australian people for a better future, side by side with our First Nations brothers and sisters. The Labor Party accept that generous invitation and will do everything in our power to bring to bear voice, truth and treaty and the better future that will come with it.

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