George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Minister for the Arts and Sport) Share this | Hansard source

I listened very carefully to what Senator Bartlett has just said. I do not have ministerial responsibility for the response to this report but I will undertake, Senator Bartlett, through you Mr Acting Deputy President, to pursue this urgently with the relevant minister.

As Senator Bartlett knows, I sat as a participating member of that inquiry at its Brisbane hearing, and Senator Bartlett rightly points out that the recommendations were unanimous. Senator Payne, whom I see in the chamber, chaired that committee with great efficiency and penetration, if I may say so. It is not an exaggeration to say that all senators from all parties who participated in those hearings were absolutely appalled at the injustice that had been perpetrated, over generations, on Aboriginal people. As you rightly say, Senator Bartlett, this was largely, though not exclusively, at the instance of state governments on both sides. I remember, Senator Bartlett, as you will also recall, being absolutely appalled at the behaviour of the Queensland state government in dealing with proposals to settle these claims for what you rightly say—I agree with you—was an insultingly small amount of money. I also remember being appalled at the behaviour of Mr Beattie, who, mercifully, is not going to be among us as a practising politician for very much longer, in the way he treated these people with contempt. It seemed to me, Senator Bartlett, that Mr Beattie, who was briefly a solicitor many years ago, should have known that some of the conduct in which he engaged, or for which he was responsible in trying to force a settlement on these people, came pretty close to, if not beyond, the legal definition of duress and undue influence.

So, Senator Bartlett, I share your concern about the urgency and the significance of this report. This is not just about the rights of a group of disadvantaged people; it is also about property rights. If the people or their ancestors—their parents, grandparents or great-grandparents—were entitled to the wages and, through well-meaning but nevertheless wrongful conduct of state governments at the time the wages to which they were entitled were not paid to them, then they have a property right just as good as anybody else in the country to have those wages restored to them, to have the governments concerned make restitution. Senator Bartlett, I undertake to you to pursue the matter urgently. I think you know how strongly I feel about it as well.