Colin Boyce (Flynn, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Australians voted overwhelmingly 'no' at the recent referendum on changing the Constitution to enshrine an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice to parliament. My electorate of Flynn delivered the second-highest 'no' vote in the land, with 84 per cent voting 'no'. Our largest Aboriginal community, Woorabinda, voted 'no'. This community of a thousand people has been identified as one of the poorest communities in Australia. Despite funding services for Woorabinda, nobody knows or understands where this money is going. If you analyse the referendum result, it is quite clear that mainstream Australia has sent a clear message to corporate Australia, to the management of our major sporting codes and its players, to the ritzy-glitzy media and entertainment personalities, to the inner-city Metropolitan dwellers who think they have a higher intelligence and to the Labor government. Mainstream Australia will not be dictated to and force-fed virtuous political rhetoric with no explanation and no results. One together, not two divided—that is the message that Australian people have sent to the government after voting down their voice proposal.

Australians want real answers to difficult questions and social problems that plague our most vulnerable communities, especially our most vulnerable children. Australians have a right to know where the billions of dollars of taxpayer money is achieving very little with respect to on-the-ground results. That is why there should be an audit of all expenditure to explain where it goes and, possibly, expose the gravy train incompetence of those administering these moneys. If you receive public money, the public expects value in return. This money goes to some of our most marginalised in some of the most remote communities. They depend on the delivery of these services, and they depend on them accurately representing their interests and their needs. Funding needs to be tied to proper and deliverable accountability measures. We need to understand what achievements we get from these outcomes, what needs more funding and what is being wasted. The horrific stories of child sexual abuse, domestic violence, alcohol and substance abuse, hunger and deplorable living conditions that children are exposed to is a disgraceful shame on Australian governance. This is why we need a royal commission into these issues that will deliver real practical solutions and expose those who inflict horror on these vulnerable children.

Every night that a child is unsafe, every night that a woman or an older person is subjected to violence, is one night too many. The Prime Minister doesn't want to have any part in addressing these difficult issues or having these difficult conversations. What we're saying is that we cannot step back from having these conversations, particularly as, in the national plan for eliminating domestic violence, the government says it wants to end it in a generation. And you have to start with our children. There's not enough focus on the issues that the children are exposed to. We aren't afraid to call out these issues in these communities. A blanket has been pulled over the eyes of reporting at the mention of Aboriginal children. The government does not want to have these difficult conversations or solve these difficult problems.

Earlier this year, at the height of some of our darkest days, Peter Dutton came to Alice Springs and spent time with communities and traditional owners, and he wasn't afraid to call for a royal commission. In contrast, the Prime Minister flew in for a few hours before leaving and then spent three days at the tennis. We can achieve bipartisan support now for a royal commission. The Prime Minister just has to get involved. It will save lives. If we had a royal commission, it would give a voice to the people who are impacted by this and it would enable remote communities to have their say.

Every Australian wants better outcomes for Indigenous Australians. We must prioritise the practical action that gets children to school, gets adults to work and keeps communities safe. Exactly what we want in the rest of our community is true for Indigenous Australians too, wherever they live.

In looking ahead, we want to achieve better results for our most vulnerable people, regardless of their heritage. Our focus is on practical action, driven by local communities.

See this speech in context