Max Chandler-Mather (Griffith, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Before I begin this speech, I'd like to first acknowledge the traditional owners of these lands, the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples, whose connection to this land we know as Canberra has spanned tens of thousands of years and continues today. I'd also like to acknowledge the Jagera and Turrbal people, the rightful owners of the lands across my home city of Meanjin Brisbane.

First Nations people across this continent are part of the oldest continuing culture in the world. The resilience, courage and strength of First Nations people who have continuously fought for better outcomes in the face of unrelenting racism and discrimination is incredible. The Greens are committed to progressing all elements of the Uluru Statement from the Heart—truth, treaty and voice. A successful referendum could be the start of a decade of change for First Nations people as we move towards truth-telling, treaty-making and self-determination. As we approach the Voice referendum, we are pleased to have secured the commitment from the government that First Nations sovereignty will not be ceded and that truth and treaty will be pursued. The Greens and I are also strongly in favour of ensuring that a voice is truly representative of First Nations people by ensuring membership of the Voice is selected by First Nations people rather than being handpicked by the government of the day or by another convoluted selection process that shuts out First Nations voices not already connected to the political system.

Establishing the Voice in simultaneous progression of truth-telling and treaty will give this country a shot at moving forwards towards First Nations justice, because it is well past time for this country to hear the truth—that the violence and state sanctioned genocide started with colonisation and continues today. First Nations communities are still experiencing high rates of imprisonment, deaths in custody and removal of their children from families. Significant underinvestment in First Nations health care, education and housing continues to leave First Nations people significantly more likely to experience housing stress, overcrowding, homelessness, poverty and health issues. It's a truly terrible and unacceptable thing that First Nations people are so often homeless on their own country as a result of the systematic failures of government. The destruction of land, water and sacred sites is devastating communities' connection to country and culture, and unchecked climate change will likely impact First Nations people first and hardest.

These problems are not some distant history; these are here and now, pervasive and getting worse. Successive governments at all levels already know the solutions to many of these issues but continue to ignore them. The rate of First Nations child removal is at an all-time high. A new generation of First Nations children are being taken from their families, yet the self-determined solutions of the Bringing them home report are still ignored by governments.

Our legal system fails First Nations people on a daily basis, with life-and-death consequences. First Nations people make up just three per cent of the population but more than 32 per cent of the daily prisoner population. There have been more than 500 First Nations deaths in custody since the 1991 royal commission into the issue, yet for decades government have refused to implement many of the commission's recommendations. First Nations children continue to be criminalised and institutionalised at record levels, yet Labor and Liberal governments across the country refuse to raise the age of criminal responsibility to at least 14 despite every expert and First Nations organisation in the sector begging them to do so. It shouldn't take a constitutionally established voice for Labor and Liberal governments to realise prison is no place for any child.

First Nations sacred sites remain unprotected, with tens of thousands of years of cultural heritage able to be wiped away in an instant in the name of iron ore extraction or setting up a new gas plant. When will the government listen to communities demanding protection for these cultural assets? Or will they continue to let the mining industry ride roughshod over tens of thousands of years of history?

Across the continent the impacts of climate change are destroying communities and country, and First Nations people are so often on the front lines of that struggle, fighting to protect their land from the wanton destruction of multinational mining corporations. Yet this government cosies up to the fossil fuel industries, approves coalmines and ignores climate science and cultural knowledge. These are not new problems, nor ones without self-determined solutions already known to the government.

Let's be really clear: a voice to parliament is not going to solve every problem in this country, and it must only be the start of a pathway towards genuine justice. A voice to parliament democratically selected by First Nations people in tandem with truth-telling and treaty can help bring the country along towards First Nations justice. That means politicians hearing the voices of First Nations people even when they don't want to hear what they have to say. I can think of so many brilliant First Nations leaders and organisers who are currently denied a voice on the national stage, locked out by a political and media establishment that don't like what they have to say. If the outcome of this referendum is those leaders getting a chance to speak truth to power and a chance to speak on the national stage, that will be a positive step forward.

I'm looking forward to ensuring as many people as possible in Griffith vote yes and that we continue to push for truth and treaty.

See this speech in context