Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have spoken many times in this place about the incredible experience that it was serving with NORFORCE in Arnhem Land. Today, having just arrived back from Arnhem Land and attending Garma, I want to reflect on a few things. I caught up with Warrant Officer Class Two Tommy Munyarryun. It was great to see him again and great to see how far he has been promoted in that great unit, NORFORCE. There was also James Ghengi. Talking to James Ghengi, a soldier in NORFORCE, reminded me of a time when I was serving with them. It reminded me of the importance of listening to First Nations people regarding policies that affect them. We served together—James, Tommy and I—in 2007. You'll remember that those opposite, and there are still some people in the opposition from around from that time, launched the Intervention without consultation, and as a result it was incredibly divisive.

NORFORCE were given a role with logistics, but essentially what we ended up doing was a lot of the cultural brokerage to try and explain what was going on with this imposition in their traditional lands, such as what the child health checks were all about. Many of the community were very fearful, because of the way this intervention was rolled out, that their children would be taken away—taken away again, in some cases.

I asked James and the Yolgnu soldiers in my patrol what they thought I should do and what they thought we should do as part of this cultural brokerage work, and they said we should put up a big sign in front of the clinic saying in the Yolgnu Matha language, 'The doctors are here to see your kids and to give them a check-up.' And the families started bringing in their young children. It's just a small example of asking for advice, listening and taking that advice, and how that results in proper, practical outcomes, improving health and wellbeing. It worked.

That is the very simple point of the Voice: taking advice from people is going to give better outcomes. That was reinforced for me this morning from talking to my good friend Dr Mike Freelander, who has seen the power of Aboriginal controlled health centres in his electorate in improving health outcomes. Obviously, he is someone who would know well the benefits that will come, such as the perinatal benefits—giving young kids the start that they need in life through that support. That's the Australia we want.