Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Leader of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Hansard source

It is a great pleasure to speak on this very important issue. When one considers the subject of this matter of public importance, one always thinks that there are a range of ways in which we can assist. We are very privileged in this place to be able to make a difference to our constituents and all Australians. I see quite a number of new faces in this chamber. Whilst I do not know them personally, I well imagine that being able to make a difference was very much part of their motivation for coming to this place.

We can make a difference through leadership and we can make a difference through policy development, outcomes and settings and the delivery of services. But we can also make a difference through providing hope—replacing despair with hope, creating opportunities and building self-esteem. We in this place should never underestimate the power of hope in uplifting all Australians. If we can provide people in very difficult positions with a way forward, a path to a better future, that is a very powerful driver, and I think it helps to build a much stronger community. If we can keep safe our children who are at risk and replace that feeling of fear with a feeling of safety, I think we will immediately provide positive outcomes.

I think most people who looked at the Little children are sacred report found the contents most confronting. People in this House were horrified by the problems that were chronicled in that very difficult report. I would certainly like to commend the intervention and the very strong stance that the previous government took in breaking the policy mould and taking a very strong position on this very difficult problem. It is all too easy to come up with excuses not to act. It is all too easy to bow down to vested interests. But I think the power of that intervention was that that very intransigent problem that we have—not only in the Northern Territory but in other areas as well—was very strongly confronted, as were what I would call those very noisy vested interests. I would plead with this government to not give in to the squeaky wheel. I implore them to take the very hard road and confront those vested interests to ensure that we get the very best outcomes.

No intervention is going to be perfect. Governments since Federation, through a range of policies, many of them misguided but certainly well intentioned, have attempted to solve the problems of our Indigenous communities. We need to keep our shoulders to the wheel. I see the intervention as a very good first step. I am concerned at the potential for the roll-back of the intervention and I would hope that the government will continue to confront the problems that we have. I have a very substantial Indigenous population in my electorate and, when I see young people who are offered hope and solutions, I see the dramatic change which occurs in their personal demeanour and their future. I think we can continue to make a difference right across the Northern Territory.

Unfortunately, remote Australia becomes a very challenging area in which to roll out policy. If you were going to design a model of an area in which it was difficult to roll out policy, you would come up with something that was very much akin to what we have in remote Australia, where we have vast distances and relatively sparse populations. Everywhere we roll out policy, we have a difficulty with labour forces, we have a difficulty with getting to the people, we have perhaps a reluctance for people to come and seek help and, in many cases, we have a lack of trust in the sorts of services that can be offered by governments and their associated bodies.

Let me commend this matter of public importance. We must continue to strive, on this very important day in our history, to improve our health outcomes. We must continue to ensure that our little children are safe, to ensure that they feel they have a future and to build their self-esteem so that they can take their rightful place in our society and contribute to it. If we build self-esteem and keep our children safe, together we can achieve some really outstanding outcomes.

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