Marion Scrymgour (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

SCRYMGOUR () (): I have watched for many years and listened from outside the halls of parliament while the former government grandstanded and did little more than pay lip service to issues relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. I just listened to the last speech and that says all that we need to know. We have had many governments all completely unable to bring the attention and nuance required to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians portfolio.

Successfully managing issues relating to Aboriginal Australians and their communities takes tact, it takes integrity and it takes commitment. These are the qualities Prime Minister Albanese and Minister Burney have in spades. They understand the issues. They have the grace and respect to listen and to act on the wishes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. They do not merely stand at the pulpit and preach self-determination; they embed it in government policy. Nowhere is this more evident than in Central Australia and the Northern Territory. The issues that are played out in the media, which the opposition have so shamelessly played politics with, are deep-rooted. Anyone with an understanding of the policy context knows that the foundations for today's troubles date back to the coalition's intervention in the Northern Territory. A mishmash of policy and funding investments, or lack thereof, have created the tsunami of problems in our towns, regions and communities. The crippling underfunding of infrastructure in remote communities and homelands, as well as the hamstringing of the Community Development Employment Program, have left our bush communities in a challenging spot.

Our federal Labor government has rapidly responded to the evolving and complex situation across Central Australia. Our response has many facets, but is centred on the $250 million Central Australia plan, a robust set of investments aimed at supporting our communities. The plan addresses several critical issues aimed at restoring safety and cohesion. This is done not only through more youth programs and better-targeted services but also by supporting high-visibility police and security operations. Already, the Lhere Artepe Aboriginal traditional owner patrols funded by the federal government have had great success in reducing the number of young people involved in antisocial behaviour. We are hearing daily from businesses and local community members about the difference these patrols are making. The plan incorporates the broader work of government on reforming the broken CDP program and bringing meaningful community-controlled jobs back to people on the ground.

An issue I am really passionate about that I share with the Minister for Indigenous Australians is fetal alcohol spectrum or FASD. We don't often talk about FASD. It is easy to pander to the right-wing base, as the opposition leader does, but what we really need is a health response. FASD diagnosis was sitting at 18 months when we came to government. The Central Australia plan will inject an additional $23.5 million into health services to support much-needed work in diagnosis and treatment services for FASD.

Another measure of the Central Australia plan is additional funding for justice reinvestment. Justice reivestment is real policy in action. It involves bringing the community together, building coalitions of organisations and affecting real change. By reducing the contact of young people within the criminal justice system, we can change the trajectories of our most vulnerable people. The Central Australia plan is also making much-needed investments in our education system. Education and our schools are at the frontline of solving the challenges of our young people. With a $40 million investment, our Central Australian schools will finally have the resources they need to do their valuable work. So you can see we finally have a government that is committed to real, tangible action on the ground, a government that understands the challenges on the ground. Aboriginal Australians, particularly those in the Northern Territory, have had to wait far too long, but finally we have a federal government that's committed to a better future for all our mob across the Northern Territory.

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