Peter Lindsay (Herbert, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That was a waste of three minutes. Let me now show you how to use a three-minute segment doing something that is good for this nation. I was very disturbed to see in the paper this morning that there may be a roll-back by Labor of the 99-year lease system in Aboriginal communities in Australia. Those of us who know about these things—and I have 8,000 Indigenous Australians in my electorate—know about the three Ls that are the fundamental issues that have to be addressed if Indigenous Australia is ever to get out of the severe disadvantage that it finds itself in. Those three Ls are: leadership; law, order and governance; and landownership. That is why I am concerned about this apparent announcement today that Labor will roll back possible landownership for Indigenous Australians. I appeal to my Labor colleagues: we cannot continue to have Indigenous Australia living in Soviet style collectives—and that is what they are.

I have just been to Vanuatu. The indigenous peoples there all own their own little piece of the village. They take pride in their little piece of the village. They can deal in that piece of the village; they can move to another village if they wish. They take pride in the home that they build on that piece of land that is theirs in the village. Why can’t we have that in Australia? Why can’t we have the opportunity for Indigenous Australians to be the same as any other Australians? Why can’t they take pride in their piece of land, build their house and look after it? That is what would happen if landownership were available. Of course, there is also another dimension to this issue: Indigenous Australians should be able to deal in their own land. That is what brings economic prosperity to Indigenous Australia. It brings jobs to Indigenous Australia. On Palm Island, in my electorate, nobody can own anything, so you cannot talk to the banks to borrow money because you do not own anything. Palm Island is probably the most beautiful island on the Barrier Reef, but we cannot take advantage of it. Indigenous Australians are denied the opportunity of having their own enterprise on Palm Island. It has to stop. I plead with the minister not to review this and to in fact extend it. I plead with the Queensland Labor government to extend it, get rid of this dreadful deed of grant in trust land title that currently exists in Queensland and give Indigenous Australia a fair go. With leadership in Indigenous communities, with respect for law and order and governance and with landownership, Indigenous Australia can take its rightful place in our country. (Time expired)