Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Housing and Urban Development) Share this | Hansard source

I will indicate the opposition’s position on this foreshadowed amendment, which seeks to establish a review in two years time of the operations and the effectiveness of the proposed transfer of administration of Aboriginal heritage in the state of Victoria to the Victorian government. I put that in the context in which the opposition has already expressed its profound disappointment at the inadequacy of this legislation. I put it in the context of a minister, Senator Ian Campbell, who again and again has demonstrated his incompetence, his dereliction of duty and his obsession with playing political games with these heritage questions. The biggest argument in favour of having this matter transferred to the Victorian government is the current minister, because of his fundamental failure to carry out his responsibilities. I have got no doubt that a great deal more will be said about that question.

We were told three years ago that this piece of legislation was critical and urgent, that it was going to contain some new forms of a higher level of administrative instruments and that it would be put before the parliament. Yet it is only now being considered in this chamber. Three years to get to this stage! You have got to ask yourself: what is the level of political incompetence? How low will they go on that side of the chamber in dealing with so-called urgent matters? It is so urgent that it has taken three years to get to this point.