Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The town of Yarrabah is a short drive from my home in Cairns. It is home to the Gunggandji people, a community of artists, activists, teachers and leaders. It is the place where elders, including Aunty Ruth and Uncle Alf, started to organise a campaign that built toward the 1967 referendum. They understood that the necessary ingredients for change were present in the Australian community and that they could, if they persisted, achieve reform and amend the constitution. In acknowledging the traditional owners of the land we meet on today and the traditional owners of the land I live on in Far North Queensland, I want to pay tribute to Yarrabah, its elders and the activists who refused to take no for an answer. They are ready to lead again and deliver a voice to parliament. I extend to them my support and solidarity.

Mr President, tonight I'm going talk to you about some of the incredible people who inspired me to become a Queensland senator. I was encouraged to run for public office by people who stand up for what they believe in, who speak up on behalf of others, those who encourage us tohope for the future and insist on making change. These are not the so-called quiet Australians. In fact, many of them are very noisy, and I truly believe that this is an important time to celebrate those in our community who don't remain silent when they witness injustice.

Firstly, though, I want to say thank you to each and every Queenslander who I am very honoured to represent. After being elected I made this commitment to Queenslanders: in my role as a senator I will be, above all else, hardworking and incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve my community. That work starts here and it starts now. I love Queensland and I love Queenslanders, so I feel incredibly lucky to be in this position at this time. I am even luckier to call Far North Queensland home.

Queensland is rich in resources and opportunities. Our vast state consists of many communities, all with their own unique identity. And nothing unites us more than our dislike of people down south trying to tell us what to do and how to live.