Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges that:

(a) this Government spent $450 million on the divisive Voice to Parliament referendum that was rejected by each state and territory, excluding the Australian Capital Territory;

(b) the proposal for a Voice to Parliament was put forward as an urgent solution to help close the gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people;

(c) since the referendum this Government has been completely absent in this space and has demonstrated that they have no plan B; and

(d) there are proposals on the table that would make a demonstrable difference that this Government refuses to implement, including:

(i) announcing an audit into Commonwealth spending for Indigenous specific programs to identify waste in financial resources and programs that are making a difference;

(ii) establishing a royal commission into child sexual abuse in Indigenous communities; and

(iii) re-instating the cashless debit card in vulnerable communities; and

(2) calls on the Government to focus on practical actions like these to assist in closing the gap.

I'm very proud to represent the second-largest Indigenous population in Australia. The disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians are particularly stark in regional Western Australia, which is why I am particularly concerned about the government's approach to Indigenous affairs. The Albanese government promised everything with the Voice, yet it's now been more than four months since the referendum and we are still waiting for the government to announce or, indeed, deliver its Plan B.

The referendum didn't just cost Australians $450 million; sadly, it also left many Indigenous Australians feeling rejected by the rest of the country. You can't blame people for feeling that way. After all, the Voice was presented as the only way forward. Who can forget the Voice ad which told young people that without the Voice they simply weren't going to make it or that they had no control over their own life or that there is no hope? What a disgraceful thing to do.

It is apparent to everyone that things need to change. We saw from this year's Closing the gap report that we're not meeting our targets. In fact, only four are on track and some are heading in the wrong direction. But this is not due to a lack of resources. A lot of money is effectively being wasted on Indigenous affairs, and I believe we need an audit into spending. This would be an important step towards understanding where government resources can be better used. We need to look at where efforts are producing positive outcomes and stop funnelling money into places where it is not working. Quite simply, the status quo cannot continue.

Next we must support the next generation to reach its full potential. As was often noted during the Voice campaign, an Indigenous young man is more likely to go to jail than to go to university. We need to ensure that Indigenous youth stay engaged with their education and that kids stop having children. Investment in diversionary programs should be a central component of this strategy. Importantly, we must ensure that Indigenous children are growing up in a safe environment. Unfortunately, we know that far too many Indigenous children are the victims of abuse. A royal commission into child sexual abuse in Indigenous communities would provide direction for the Australian government and allow a targeted approach to combating this very serious issue. It's common sense that preventing trauma should be the No. 1 priority for this government.

Another important factor is tackling drug and alcohol abuse. The cashless debit card was a game changer for vulnerable communities that were experiencing high levels of substance abuse. I saw firsthand the difference it made in the East Kimberley. Income management meant that there was money for school lunches and food on the table rather than for buying alcohol and drugs for parents. The government's decision to remove the CDC resulted in an uptick in substance abuse and crime across the trial sites. I believe we need to reimplement the CDC. We have seen the recent events in Broome, with the introduction of further liquor restrictions by the state government demonstrating that we should take very seriously the expansion of the CDC. This will assist the fight against family and domestic violence that is often fuelled by alcohol and drug abuse.

Western Australian crime statistics show that family assaults are on the rise. In December the rate of family assaults in metropolitan Perth was 70 per 100,000, while in the regions more broadly it was 247. Shockingly, in the Kimberley there were 1,163 assaults per 100,000 people. This is unacceptable.

On 14 October, Australians overwhelmingly rejected the Prime Minister's untested Voice model. This was not a rejection of Aboriginal people—and I want to underline that. This was not a rejection of Aboriginal people. All Australians want to see our Indigenous children have all the opportunities that non-Indigenous children have.

I acknowledge that Indigenous affairs are not easy. But to make a change—a real and lasting change—we need leadership and we need courage. I'm calling on the government to get the courage. Tip everything upside down on the table and start again, because clearly what we're doing is not helping the people that I represent in Durack.

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