Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

r HUSIC () (): I'm proud to represent in this place one of the largest urban based First Nations communities in the country. I take very seriously the job of representing all of them, as I do with all my constituents. In particular, one of the big things that needs to happen in this country is to finally show respect to our First Nations people and to do better—not just in practical terms, but also to respect and acknowledge their custodianship and the fact that we can do better.

More often than not, we sit in the chamber every year, usually around February—it was late this year—to hear a Closing the Gap address that talks about whether or not we're actually making concrete progress in improving the quality of life of First Nations people who have been let down so many times before. Invariably, we find that we are not doing well and that we do need to do better. What we also find, as a reason for that, is the fact that we do not allow for First Nations people to take control of the resources, the services and the things they need so that they can shape the way that service is delivered to them. We find that constantly.

In my area, despite all the fancy talk, I see it yet again on something as incredibly important as health, where an Aboriginal medical service in our area does not have the local community helping drive the way that it runs. I approached the minister for health on this very point, calling for local representation. I did this earlier in the year. I asked for the funding of this service, which is spread across several federal electorates, to be maintained for the area and that locals get an opportunity to run that service. The minister didn't even bother to respond. He flicked the response to someone else and said, 'This is exactly what's happening.' This is not what's happening. This service has now gone into administration. It is now unsure as to what its future will be, and there is no certainty about how people, local First Nations people, will be able to manage and run that service.

It's no surprise that this health minister gives no care for one of the biggest Aboriginal communities in our area. He only cares about whether or not he can make an announcement or whether or not he can use public health services in marginal seats to defend Liberal votes while locked down LGAs get treated shabbily. Frankly, I am happy that he is going. The only thing I'm upset about is that he will not be held accountable for one of the worst vaccine rollouts we've seen, where 60 per cent of the deaths in the lockdown happened in south-western and Western Sydney. They were only there to chase votes in seats like the member for Lindsay's seat.