Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I won't detain the chamber for too long but I did want to take the opportunity to speak about this report as it is important to northern Australia and to my electorate. But before I do that, I just want to reflect, because I may not get the opportunity, on the contribution of the member for Brand just now, talking about the 70th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's reign. I, like member for Brand—I like the member for Brand—am a republican and I want to see an Australian head of state but I also recognise the incredible duty that Queen Elizabeth II has performed and want to acknowledge that publicly in this place. I presented a framed portrait of the Queen to the Darwin RSL a few days ago and attended a fantastic event recognising her 70 years of service as the Queen at the Christchurch Cathedral in Darwin. That was an excellent service that thanked God for her service. It intersects with this report, I believe, in some important ways.

Australia is a proud nation, has an ancient history, and that history has been lived by the First Nations of this continent for millennia. It is important then that we always make sure that what this House does in legislation and in its committee work honours that long custodianship and belonging to the land that our First Nations have, and this report continues in that tradition. I particularly want to draw attention to the words of the member for Lingiari who, for 30 years, has worked to see a greater understanding in our nation of the First Nations, not only of the Northern Territory but of our nation, so that we can better understand their relationship with the land and how we can better honour it through the work of this parliament. So I want to acknowledge the member for Leichhardt and also the member for Lilley, who have outlined some really important aspects of the recommendations in this report. I will not go through those recommendations one by one, but I will say that I think they are worthy recommendations. But, of course, as with all reports, it is not enough to make recommendations. It is up to the government of the day to put their weight behind those recommendations, so the next federal government after this upcoming election must do that.

It will require us as parliamentarians to make sure that the parliament is accountable for honouring First Nations people in this country and to better understanding what native title is and what land rights in the Northern Territory are. In particular, as the member for Lingiari noted, recommendation 9 makes a number of suggestions. One of them is a review of the Native Title Act to make sure that representative bodies are properly funded in order to represent the interests of traditional owners and native title holders, and I support that sentiment and that recommendation.

The member for Lingiari talked about the education that's required throughout our nation and the member for Leichhardt also referred to the parliament recognising the principle of free, prior and informed consent as it is set out in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. That education in relation to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and what it entails is important. I think the recommendations, particularly when they came from the discussions with industry and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups from across the country over the time of the inquiry, mean that these recommendations are worthy and need to be taken seriously.

I want to thank the members of this committee and the secretariat for their work. The work of this parliament must continue in terms of education and honouring not only sacred sites but the sacred and ancient relationship that First Nations people have with our wonderful home, Australia.

In closing, I want to put on the record my support for the Larakkia Development Corporation and the Larakkia Nation Aboriginal Corporation in Darwin in Solomon in my electorate for their efforts to secure land in order to build a cultural centre. It will be an incredibly iconic facility on Larakkia land that will showcase their ancient ties with our wonderful home to the rest of Australia and the world. I congratulate them for the work they're doing on that and thank the chamber for its time.

Question agreed to.

Federation Chamber adjou r ned at 11:08