Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Australian Greens) | Link to this | Hansard source

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the UNDRIP, was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 13 September 2007. One hundred and forty-four countries voted in favour of the UNDRIP. If you want to know what shame looks like, you need to know that Australia was one of the four countries that voted against the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Not long after the UNDRIP was adopted, Senator Payne stood in this chamber to say that something as important as the UNDRIP should not be rushed. That was in 2007. It's now 2022, and we're still waiting.

Later today I will be seeking leave to introduce a bill to end that waiting, because no-one here has prioritised Indigenous rights, so I will. I'm asking for the support of the Senate today to make sure that my bill can be introduced and, hopefully, passed. That will incorporate the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People into law, policy and practice. My bill would require the government to give us a fully funded national action plan to implement UNDRIP and audit existing laws and policies so they are compliant with UNDRIP. So let's get it done. What are we waiting for? It was 15 years ago that our colleague here in the Senate raised this as something that was important. If the government has failed us, I can guarantee you now that the Australian Greens won't.