Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Health) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the condolence motion on the death of Dr Mabo. Alan Duff, a Maori author, wrote a set of words, in a publication that I read, that said, 'Every society has its heroes. Those heroes are people who influence others around them, some more so in remarkable ways than others.' I think of the period which both Eddie and Dr Mabo grew up in and the history of Queensland at the time. The challenges of being recognised within the historical context of this nation was equally challenging. That was because often matters to do with the history of Indigenous Australians and those who were brought from the Pacific Islands to work within Australia was overlooked, both conveniently and in the sense of not wanting to acknowledge that history showed that the whole concept of terra nullius was not as acceptable as it had been for decades.

When you take a fight on an issue, the person who stands beside you gives you the courage and the energised motive to continue. All of us at times fight on issues. Certainly, in my 66 years of growing up in our country, I have gone through stages where I've fought on many issues. But what was important was that Dr Bonita Mabo was there at Eddie Mabo's side. There were times that he felt that the fight was too great, but, as she said, 'We're in this together.'

Her own journey in the work that she did as an educator influenced many children. People underestimate the power and strength of the matriarchs within our communities. Their approach to life, looking at the cultural context and how that sits within a broader society in which you are immersed, remains the strength of the teaching and the work that is done to impart knowledge and ensure continuity of a culture that is rich. She came from the South Sea Islands. I knew many who contributed to education in Queensland, and I had the privilege of working with them. I also had the privilege of meeting Bonita. There are times in life when you meet someone and, whilst the conversation may only be minuscule, in the full spectrum of your life, it nevertheless leaves an indelible mark in your thinking about some of the issues you too have to consider and confront and the way in which you go about it.

When she was awarded an honorary doctorate of letters, it was recognition of a vision and a passion that were important. I certainly join myself with the comments of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, because they went to the crux of the unique strength that Bonita Mabo had. Her vision, as shared with me by her children at times I've had the opportunity of talking with them, was a tower of strength. Her achievements, from a very humble background, and her own culture were the essence of the strength which she used to influence and make progress in making sure that the strength of our communities prevailed.

We've got to think about Australia at the time that Bonita Mabo was a young woman. When she and Eddie married, in 1959, Queensland and Australia were very strong in their policies on Indigenous peoples, on societies that were from other areas. The journey of trying to have recognition for her people has always been a struggle, because governments have not fully comprehended the importance of why the essence of somebody's culture is their being and is the strength that makes them the unique individual that they are.

When the High Court decision was handed down, she made the comment that it was a pity that Eddie didn't see the outcome of the challenge that he took to the Australian government of the day. She went on to say that her pride in what her husband had achieved was a great moment. I remember reading in a media article that she was driving when she heard the news, and she got out of the car and celebrated. She celebrated the fact that all of their hard work together had realised a significant change. When you think about what it meant, it took away the myths of the past, as she equally did in fighting for her people to be recognised. I do hope, like the member for Newcastle, that this House recognises their contribution in this nation, because industries grew off the back of First Nations people and Bonita's people. But she was always unwavering in what she believed in. When you meet somebody who is strong, you then take that strength and apply it equally, because you see somebody who has a vision, who has thoughts about what the future should look like, not only for her family but for the children.

Teacher's aides—and I acknowledge all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education workers—are at the bottom of the order of structure within a school, yet their influence is immense in the way in which we have seen their influence shape the future of younger people. I see it in her children. When I heard of her passing, my thoughts and my heart went out to them, because I know how much of an influence she was on them and how much love they had for both their father and their mother. They knew that, as a family, they had changed the tide of the battles that we used to have on land rights, and the battles for recognition—that we didn't exist pre-Captain Cook.

That decision was monumental but it was equally supported by both. We are a sadder country for having lost both, because they are the iconic heroes whose selfless approach to making a better future resulted in one of the most significant changes that was monumental to this nation. When you lose somebody you lose a history book of knowledge—a book of love, a book of guidance—but you also lose a spiritual connection that, often, all of us have around us in the way in which we influence people.

In conclusion, I would like to say thank you, Eddie and Bonita, for what you've done. Thank you for the work that you did that influenced so many others. You've influenced all Australians in a way that neither of you would have imagined. To your children: remember those things that are important but remember you have two heroes who have left us.

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