Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Roberts, firstly, I agree that we should celebrate First Nations culture in this country. I agree that there are many outstanding athletes, as we saw with the Rabbitohs recently and the great score trier that everybody roamed the field on with AJ. But there are many, many others, whether they're athletes or otherwise. There are professionals in business, in the sciences and in our schools. We've even got our young woman here from Yirrkala, who's doing very well—Siana, I'm watching you as a bit of a trailblazer for us.

You're right that we should celebrate First Nations people and culture, Senator Roberts. But that's probably about as far as our similarities might go, because I certainly reject the assertion that there is no accountability or transparency. As I said in my previous response to you, every organisation that is receiving funding does get audited, whether it's from the Australian National Audit Office or having to provide their annual reports to this parliament. I certainly have many statutory bodies whose reports have to be delivered to the Senate.

That is accountability, Senator Roberts. That is where we differ. You keep asking for audits. Well, audits actually happen as an annual event for organisations, and those organisations that are not doing well obviously get picked up in this as well. Like non-Indigenous organisations and businesses, there are some across the country that don't do well, and they need extra support to get them back on their feet or, like many, they go out of business. The accountability structure is there in terms of the audits, and, as I said, I agree with you in terms of the celebration of First Nations people, but the way we do that is also about lifting families. This is why this bill is incredibly important. It's important because we are listening to what the communities have been asking for for a long time.

I might walk you through just a bit of that history. The Bringing them home report in 1997 actually raised this back then, and we've had subsequent organisations through the Coalition of Peaks. There are 70 organisations who've given guidance on this. I would not dismiss—and I am sure you, as a senator for Queensland, would not dismiss—those who come to us to give advice. That's what this parliament asks for in terms of the Coalition of Peaks and the agreement that we've signed with every state and territory to that Closing the Gap agreement.

We've got organisations like SNAICC, which cares for the children. We've got VACCA, the Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency, and the Korrie Youth Counsel. All these organisations have come forward to say there needs to be this national commissioner. There needs to be a role where the national First Nations commissioner is there for the children who are being taken away, who are in out-of-home care. We've seen those figures rise staggeringly, especially in states like Victoria. Having the ability for the national children's commissioner to work with each state and territory and to inform this parliament is absolutely critical.

Senator Roberts, there are some things we kind of see a bit of similarity on, but probably most not. But I do appreciate your interest. You have shown that at estimates as well in the questions that you've raised around communities. I would urge you and your party to get behind this bill. What Commissioner Hunter will be able to do is know that she has the support of this parliament behind her to work with our kids across the country.