Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

( Senator Hanson has dedicated her public life to lowering the tone of every debate that she participates in, and today is no exception. If she was unable to show empathy or understanding, she could at least have shown restraint. Her racist comments—and they are racist—have no place in this chamber.

Our First Nations people have endured far worse over the years. Now, I have faith in their strength and their resilience. Senator Hanson, after all, is not such a formidable opponent. But it doesn't make her comments okay. They are not okay. We have heard from many speakers today about the challenges that face First Nations communities—the challenge that we ought to take up in this place, in this parliament, as true allies to First Nations communities who are fighting for their future and the future of their children. Those challenges are many and while we've made some progress, as the reports today demonstrate, the results on health, on education and on early childhood are simply unacceptable. As the Leader of the Opposition said earlier today, these are not just statistics; these are people—sons, daughters, brothers and sisters, aunties and uncles.

If we want to see real progress on closing the gap, we must properly understand how the consequences of dispossession and the removal from country and culture—the misguided policies, no matter how well-intentioned—have transcended generations and can still be seen and felt today.

First Nations people have given us a map. They gathered in Uluru and they made a statement—the Statement from the Heart—and they talked about what they wanted clearly, unequivocally and with a unity of purpose that we'd do well to heed. Because what First Nations people have asked for is a voice to parliament, and if we mean what we say when we say that we wish to partner with people, then what could be more sensible than a voice established to allow First Nations people to be consulted on the questions that affect them?

If the analysis provided by the government today about the results from the Closing the gap report is correct—if we accept it—that the results derive from a failure to work with First Nations people, then how can we reject their call for a voice? How can we reject their call for a constitutionally enshrined voice and the certainty that such enshrinement would offer to those people? The Statement from the Heart also asks for makarrata—for treaty-making, for truth-telling. These are opportunities for Australia—opportunities for us to embrace our history, to embrace what First Nations people offer us.

Today is an opportunity to reflect on how far we have to go in closing the gap in quality of life for Indigenous Australians. Our contributions should be thoughtful. They should be measured. They should have the integrity of the contributions we heard earlier from our First Nations senators, my comrades Senator McCarthy and Senator Dodson—and I am so proud of the contributions they made in this place today. They stand in stark contrast to what was offered by Senator Hanson. Today is not a day for bigotry and it is not a day for filth.