Mal Brough (Longman, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I thank all honourable members from both sides who have participated in today’s debate, a historic debate in the parliament in this time in our nation’s history. It is a time when, hopefully, we can, once and for all, make a real improvement in the lives of the First Australians and, in particular, the children. That is what these bills are about. That is the expression that we hope to achieve. They are the practical outcomes and the objectives that we strive for.

Before closing the debate, I briefly make a few comments to clarify a couple of points. The first one is about the timing of this bill. The opposition, in fact, used a political opportunity to say that the government are arrogant by not providing the bills in time. I can assure the member for Jagajaga that the commentary and the thoughts of the task force in Alice Springs were asked for on Thursday night last week. There were still amendments up to one o’clock on Sunday afternoon. We simply did not have a bill to give you any sooner, so I find it disappointing that you would make that comment. We have tried our hardest to give it to you, as and when we could. You in fact received these bills before my party room did, before the government’s party room did and before our backbench committee did. It was to help you, the opposition, deal with your own party room. We were misled by your staff, who said there was a meeting of your caucus last night. In fact, that meeting was today. Be that as it may—

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