Senate debates

Wednesday, 8 February 2023

Adjournment

First Nations Recognition

7:39 pm

Photo of Karen GroganKaren Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I rise this evening to mark a momentous point in South Australian history, with my great state set to become the first Australian jurisdiction with a First Nations voice to parliament. The Malinauskas Labor government this week introduced the First Nations Voice Bill 2023. I am deeply proud to be a South Australian and see that occur.

This bill is the result of years of hard work and advocacy by the Indigenous community of South Australia, including my good friend Kyam Maher, the South Australian Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Attorney-General, who has worked tirelessly to progress the issues around truth, treaty and voice for over 20 years. This South Australian bill presents a major step forward in acknowledging and recognising the unique and important place that First Nations people have in our society. Policies and services for First Nations people and communities will only ever work and will only ever give us the outcomes that we require when those First Nations people have a say in those matters. The introduction of this bill is not only significant for First Nations people; it is for all of us. It sends a powerful message to the rest of Australia and to the world. By taking this step, South Australia is setting that positive example for the rest of the country and showing that it's committed to creating a more inclusive and just society.

As a nation, we have an opportunity to progress voice, treaty and truth simultaneously. All three require dedicated action, and there is no need to choose one over the other. This year we will all, across the whole of this country, have a choice to vote yes on the federal Voice to Parliament referendum, a powerful step towards reconciliation. It will be a clear statement that we as a nation are committed to acknowledging and addressing the injustices of the past and creating a more equal and inclusive future.

Constitutional recognition through a voice to parliament, with a body enshrined in the Constitution, would enable First Nations people to have their voices heard and their perspectives considered in the decisions that affect their lives. That has to make a difference—a difference that we must see in how our society operates in the future. To quote my colleague Senator Dodson, 'Why shouldn't First Nations people secure a formal structure through which to provide advice to the parliament and the government on matters which affect them?' When you put it like that, it really does seem like a very simple and very essential question. I ask, why shouldn't they?

What an honour it was at the Chifley conference on the weekend to listen to Senator Dodson and his speech highlighting the progress of the Voice to Parliament referendum and the importance of its success in unifying the nation and his lesson in history of the pathway to get to where we are today in terms of that recognition, which started in 1937. I would highly recommend anyone who gets the opportunity to read that speech. It's well worth a go. His powerful speech served as a reminder of the significance of the referendum and the need for Australians to respond generously to the Uluru Statement from the Heart requests. A successful referendum will signal a new and unifying era for Australia. For many this has been a decades-long mission of reconciliation, and, for all, it's been hundreds of years of injustice. With the continued struggles faced by First Nations communities, including poverty, high incarceration rates and child removals, it has never been more urgent that we take this critical step.

I salute my South Australian Labor colleagues for the actions they have taken this week. Kyam and the rest of the Malinauskas government, each and every one of you are setting an example for the rest of the country. It's time for the rest of Australia to see that this is doable and essential and to get it done and follow. Let us work together towards reconciliation. Let us show the world that we are a nation that values inclusiveness and equality, and let us respond generously to the Uluru Statement from the Heart. (Time expired)