Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I am suggesting that not every individual Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person is disadvantaged, but I would have thought that the evidence is pretty clear that, as a group, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are highly disadvantaged compared to the rest of the community. In fact, it would appear that at least one member of the Liberal Party thinks so as well—a man by the name of Julian Leeser, the member for Berowra. In countering the argument that somehow this bill would privilege Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people or provide them with special rights, Mr Leeser said, 'Does anyone really believe that Indigenous Australians occupy a place of privilege? Seriously?' So Mr Leeser seems to acknowledge that, as a group, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people face significant gaps in life expectancy, educational attainment, incarceration levels and health outcomes, and in many other ways. So, yes, we do think that, as a group, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are highly disadvantaged.