Bob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

I would first like to acknowledge the people who initiated this bill: Banduk Marika, a First Australian artist, who travelled a long way to be with us today, and we thank her as one of the fighters here; Christina Davidson, CEO of the Association of Northern, Kimberley and Arnhem Aboriginal Artists, who has travelled a very great distance to be here today; Gabrielle Sullivan, the CEO of Indigenous Art Code; Robyn Ayres, CEO of Arts Law; and Leesa Watego, Copyright Agency/Viscopy director.

I must emphasise to the House that my colleague the member for Mayo and myself are only acting today as agents for these people in bringing this bill forward, and we do so with very great pride in moving for a betterment of a situation for First Australians.

There are those amongst Australia's First Australians who say, 'The Europeans came here and took our land and now they are taking our culture.' In the last election campaign, my political party went to the polls on 'Australia not for sale'. But there can be nothing more that demonstrates that your country is for sale than when my senior staffer, my media chief, went to four souvenir shops in Cairns and found that over 95 per cent of the supposed Aboriginal souvenirs were not Aboriginal at all; they were from overseas. I would ask the member for Mayo to hold up an example of what we are talking about. One looks genuine, and it is made in?

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