Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Greens do not disagree with lifting the spirits of Indigenous people. I note the letter from the Elliott Community Council, which says, ‘There’s a huge amount of money to be expended here, effectively, and we have infrastructure needs and we want to be part of what the government is doing here.’ The minister himself says, ‘People have got to understand that they are feeling better without the land being taken off them for five years.’ The minister himself has given the argument that I put: you do not need to take land off people to make them feel that they have got more security, that they are going to get better services or that something is finally going to be done about the grog supply or, indeed, the abuse and violence. Those are things that we all want. I am not disputing that, but you cannot go to that argument, Minister, when you are asked specific questions about the aim of the government in taking over the land. You argue that it is to put in housing. But what aim does the government have in mind over the five years? You cannot give me an answer to that question. You said that you were in this for the long term, so can you tell the Senate that this arrangement for taking away the rights of people to make decisions about the use of their land and what is put on it for five years will end in five years and will not be extended?