Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to congratulate Anne Martin and Benjamin Mitchell, who were the co-chairs of the National NAIDOC Committee—they have done a great job this year. In 2014, the national theme for NAIDOC was 'Serving Country: Centenary & Beyond', honouring the Indigenous men and women who served in the defence of their country from the time of settlement until the most recent wars Australia has been involved in, in Afghanistan and Iraq.

I commend the government for putting up $2.2 million to support more than 550 local community events across the country: flag-raising ceremonies, community barbeques, traditional cooking and art workshops, festivals and the like. I call on the government to make a commitment that this kind of funding will continue. They have cut $534.4 million in the budget from Indigenous affairs, and we need the current Abbott government to commit to continuing NAIDOC every year.

NAIDOC Week this year ran from 6-13 July. Many Australians from many different backgrounds were involved. I was pleased to attend the National NAIDOC Awards, which honoured many people, on the Gold Coast last Friday night. Particularly I want to congratulate all those people who received achievement awards. Linda Burney, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in New South Wales, received a lifetime achievement award. I congratulate Linda, who has spent her whole life working for social justice and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people not just in New South Wales but beyond.

In my electorate of Blair there were many events in which I and many people across the whole region participated. Starting off, we saw the NAIDOC festival in Lowood on 21 June. I congratulate Councillor Jim Madden, the Labor candidate for Ipswich West, who was the prime initiator of this event, which was sponsored by the Somerset Regional Council. At North Ipswich there was an Indigenous thanksgiving service with the Salvation Army for their 10 years of work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in meeting their spiritual and material needs in the Ipswich region. I attempted the flag-raising ceremony at the Yamanto Police Station, the premier police station in the Ipswich and West Moreton region. I go every year. To hear Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander servicemen and servicewomen and those in the police talking about the pride they feel in the work they do and how they serve not just their people but the community was tremendous. The Indigenous Appreciation Day was sponsored by the Ipswich Jets Rugby League team. My mate the CEO, Wayne Wendt, was the initiator of that. I must say once again that a poor refereeing decision robbed the Ipswich Jets of victory, 42 to 40, at the hands of Souths Logan Magpies, another dubious decision that we suffered under.

We also had a tremendous festival sponsored by the Ipswich City Council. I want to congratulate Derek Kinchela, the Indigenous Australian Community Development Officer at the Ipswich City Council. It was a great festival, held at the Briggs Road Sports Club. Many organisations attended, including We Care, the Ipswich City Council, West Moreton-Oxley Medicare Local, the Queensland Teachers Union, USQ, the Ipswich children and family centre and Kambu Medical. They were just a few who turned up on that day.

I thank Paul Pisasale, the Mayor of Ipswich, for the support of the council for this event. Serving Country: Centenary and Beyond was the theme of NAIDOC Week. There were hundreds of people there. The local media were also present, and I congratulate USQ for the work they do publicising this event every year. The achievements of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and their contribution to community life in the Ipswich and West Moreton region should be honoured. We should do this in every electorate around the country. I think members have a responsibility as they represent these communities to continue to celebrate and recognise the immense contribution to art, to culture, to sport and to the history of this country. It is great that we have acknowledged the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women who, for decades, served our country in warlike situations and yet could not even be counted in their own country and have the right to vote. That is the level of commitment they showed to Australia and its people. I congratulate all those involved with NAIDOC.