Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

I've been trying to listen to this debate and, in all fairness, what I do believe is that it should be as it is. This should be raised at Senate estimates so people can ask questions of the ministers and departments. There are grave concerns about what is happening, and if you want accountability then you must be responsible to questions put forward by all political parties and Independents.

The amount of money that is spent on the Aboriginal affairs department is over $30 billion a year. We've got 1,258 Aboriginal corporations that have not reported to ORIC. There is no accountability. We have had corruption, and I've raised in this parliament about a person who has dealt with the aged care who was found to be corrupt. There is not enough accountability. Actually, I attended a meeting with the minister, Malarndirri, and it was supposed to be open discussion there. The minister hardly spoke at all. It was Pat Turner, from the Coalition of Peaks, who actually did all the talking. The minister couldn't answer all the questions. This is a minister that, I believe, is not doing her job properly to represent those Aboriginals.

During the problems that we have, closing the gap has been a huge, big issue. What have they done now? They've closed the gap on only four out of 19 issues. We constantly hear about the incarceration. We hear about people who do not attend schooling. We hear about the domestic violence. We hear about the sexual abuse of children. This has been going on for years, not only under this government but also under the previous government. I've been speaking about it for the last 30 years, but nothing's changed, nothing's happening.

I come across Aboriginals who are crying out, who want that assistance, want that help. But you're not listening to them. It's all closed shop. You're taking it from the elites—those people who want to claim they are Indigenous. Really? Are they truly Indigenous? Are they truly representing the true Indigenous people out there? You've got your voice in parliament here with the 11 members of parliament who claim to be Indigenous. But are you really representing the average Aboriginal out there that lives in remote and regional areas? Are you getting them the funding? It doesn't appear that way. What's happening is it's getting worse. You have no answers to it. You won't be accountable to the Australian people for the money that is put into this Aboriginal industry. You now have the activists. Although the Australian people have voted against the Voice, you are now pushing—