Fiona Martin (Reid, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn our shared history, spanning over 60,000 years. Indigenous Australians have a deep understanding of connection to the land, waters and environment and had well-established societies, art, culture and languages. The spirit of Indigenous Australians is resilient and strong. We have fought to see meaningful change and historical acceptance within Australia's narrative of the past. As a country, we know that there is much work to be done in order to achieve true national unity, economic parity and empowerment of Indigenous Australians.

This year the theme of Reconciliation Week is 'more than a word'. Reconciliation takes action. It is asking yourself what you can do in your everyday life to make a difference. Our responsibility to our First Nations people is not confined to Reconciliation Week or NAIDOC Week or at the conclusion of the Closing the Gap statement each year. Our responsibility is ongoing. That is why I believe the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags should be displayed at the entrance of the House of Representatives on a permanent basis, not just during NAIDOC Week and not just during Reconciliation Week. The flags are a reminder of our responsibility to our First Nations people, and it would be a symbolic and significant gesture to our Indigenous people—that they are welcome and included in our nation's meeting place.