Jeannie Ferris (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Mundine’s speech, which was a particularly thought-provoking and well-delivered speech, raised a number of very important points in relation to the role of private housing and the impacts that these changes could have on Aboriginal people in various communities, both regional communities and remote communities. I would urge senators with an interest in this topic to take the time to read his speech. It is very worth while. I must say that, at the recent funeral of my good and old friend Rick Farley, I spoke to Warren Mundine and commended him again on that speech and suggested to him that he might now try to implement some of these issues as policy in the Labor Party. His comments that were shared with so many people at the conference on that day can be encapsulated by this quote from his speech: ‘The youth of our communities are crying out for a better future and to give them that future that they want and need, I would suggest the following’. And, interestingly enough, none of these issues were raised by Senator Evans in his contribution. I will include just a few of the issues in my contribution today:

Ensure our hard fought gains in Native Title, ILUA’s and State Land Rights legislation ... be protected so that they can be used for the direct benefit of everyone. ...

Create more efficient management and corporate governance practices.

Provide specific outcomes and be outcomes driven.

Provide clear socio-economic benefits to everyone—not just the few.

I thought it was interesting that Senator Evans said today that poverty was one of the driving forces in Aboriginal communities. Let me say what else is a driving force—that is substance abuse. Let us get that on the table. There is no point skating around what is a substantial cause of the difficulties facing particularly women and children in rural and remote Aboriginal communities. I say that very sadly and reluctantly, but as someone who has travelled widely in rural and remote communities and as someone who has gone out with Indigenous night patrols in a number of rural and remote centres in both the Northern Territory and my home state of South Australia and seen first-hand the tragic circumstances facing women at the hands of drunken Aboriginal men in their homes. Unless we get substance abuse on the table, unless it is addressed by the state government and unless the police and the Aboriginal workers in that area take on this topic, we are never going to get to the bottom of the problem. I commend Mal Brough for the issues he is taking on. I said to Warren Mundine, ‘Please, stick with your speech—move forward,’ and he said, ‘This is not easy.’ I know it is not easy. It is not easy for anybody.