Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers) Share this | Hansard source

According to Senator McGauran also, as I remember. But all of that characterisation has resulted in division: division on the cape, division in here and division among groups of people who, I believe, honestly and truly want better things for the people of Cape York. But this will not do it. This will provide us with more time in the courts, I am sure. This will provide us with a delay in any development that is going to occur. This will delay those aspirations that we came to in the mid-nineties about economic development, social development and environmental protection that were agreed. That has been delayed, and I will put the blame on the former Howard government. Forty million dollars was allocated in the 1996 budget. How much was spent? Very, very little. No money was brought for land buyback—or very little money. Less than $1 million was allocated out of that $40 million; $17 million was meant to be spent on buyback, and less than a million was spent on buyback during the 12 years of the Howard government. That delay was politically inspired, and now we have another delaying tactic—another thing that is going to put back the aspirations of Indigenous people yet again.

I note the comments from Senator Scullion about federal intervention and how he feels uncomfortable about that. I would too if I were a senator from a territory having experienced it. I also note the very strongly made comments from Senator Brandis that he was quite sure that this would pass through a High Court decision.