Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for External Territories) Share this | Hansard source

Minister, you have no idea how this place operates or how they operate. Do you think native title holders say, 'Listen, we'll give the peak body the right to represent our interests on all things and they can talk on our behalf even though we don't know what they're talking about—we call that informed consent'? I don't think so!

In the years I have been in this place, every time we have had an issue around Aboriginal issues—I can refer to ATSIC. In getting rid of ATSIC there was no consultation. They say, 'We get in here and we want to amend this law without consultation.' Labor has a proud tradition of sitting with and listening and learning from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Let me say this: it might well be that we have cause to support elements of the government's legislation or indeed the whole piece of legislation. But until we have had the discussion with the people who may be affected by it, how can we make that decision, let alone have an opportunity to talk in caucus about these issues? It is time for us to take stock here in this place and to start treating people properly and not with the ignorance that is being done currently by this government. (Time expired)

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