Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am pleased to support the motion that the Senate take note of the answers given by ministers to questions without notice asked today. I do so particularly wishing to focus on Senator Evans’s answer in relation to Indigenous communities, but before I get to that I would like to dwell for a moment on Senator O’Brien’s remarks about the economy.

No amount of hyperbole from Senator O’Brien, Mr Rudd, Mr Swan, Senator Ludwig or anybody else in this chamber or elsewhere can change the reality of the great economy that the Labor Party has inherited, with 35-year lows in unemployment, strong growth in GDP and strong and stable inflation within the Reserve Bank’s target range. No amount of hype can change the reality of a strong economy inherited by those opposite, who are indeed a very lucky and fortunate government to have inherited that economy. What people like Senator O’Brien and Mr Swan need to be very mindful of is that their commentary now can change and influence the economy we get for the future. Mr Swan, in particular, needs to stop urging the Reserve Bank to increase rates. He needs to stop this inflationary crisis of his own making, and he needs to be very careful, mindful and judicious in the comments he makes as the Treasurer of this country.

As I said, in particular I wish to address Senator Evans’s response to the issue of our Indigenous communities. Both yesterday and today have been very symbolic, and I welcome and embrace the changes made in the opening of the parliament yesterday and also the very sincere apology given by both houses of the parliament today. I hope that these symbolic acts will ensure that we take a very positive step forward as a nation towards reconciliation, healing and forgiveness between Indigenous peoples who feel they have been wronged over the years and the rest of the Australian community.

But that symbolism must be matched by the practical. We have seen the Rudd government already place high importance on symbolism across a range of areas, starting with the signing of Kyoto and now in the Indigenous affairs portfolio. While I embrace that symbolism, I expect to see real action that backs it up, action in Indigenous communities that addresses the fact that we have real and great disadvantage—which the previous government recognised and acted on very sincerely. This disadvantage sees low educational standards, low life expectancy, poor health standards, low social capital and poor housing. These are the challenges that need to be met and confronted head on.

Instead, we have a government that appears as though it is going to take us backwards in Indigenous policy. The previous government took some great steps last year in trying to tackle endemic disadvantage in our Indigenous communities, particularly in Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory. We now see a government that is committed to rolling that back by reintroducing a permit system, which was discredited and which was a reason behind the harm caused in many of these communities. We now see a government that is going to reintroduce CDEP, a program that provided sit-down money and that did not encourage the economic development of the communities.

We heard before from my colleague and friend Senator Bernardi about some of the comments of the Labor Party’s former federal president, Warren Mundine, in regard to this—the fact that the permit system did not stop crime and that it is a fallacy to say it helped law and order. Indeed, it is a fallacy. Senator Evans claims that reintroducing permits can help protect these communities. That was not the case for decade after decade when these permits existed. Senator Evans needs to reconsider the logic of his arguments there because, as the Australian reported on 18 January this year:

History shows pedophiles, sly groggers, porn peddlers and other undesirables either ignore permits or collude with the gatekeeper.

The permit system did not work. Labor claims that permits will help the development of communities. That also is shown to be a fallacy. Galarrwuy Yunupingu, former Australian of the Year and land rights campaigner, when speaking last year in relation to the Howard government reforms, said that he believed this new model would empower traditional owners to control the development of towns and living areas. (Time expired)