Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to express my deep concern at the Prime Minister's hurtful and, I must say, ignorant comments yesterday when he claimed there was no slavery in Australia. Today he attempted to wind back those comments by denying our history and saying one of the principles of the First Fleet was to not have lawful slavery and that that was indeed the case. To the Prime Minister: there was slavery in Australia and it was sanctioned by law. We had a slave trade in this country. Generations of colonisers and Australians profited from the exploitation and abuse of First Nations peoples and Pacific islanders. There is no question that slavery is unfortunately a part of our nation's history. These attempts to whitewash and erase history are deeply traumatising for First Nations peoples and for the broader community as well, knowing and hearing this happened. I'd argue that many First Nations peoples still feel the effects today.

Slavery emerged in Australia in the 19th century and the system didn't end until well into the 20th century. Legislation in the Northern Territory, Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland facilitated the enslavement of First Nations peoples. Just take the Aboriginal Ordinance 1918, which allowed the forced recruitment of First Nations workers in the Northern Territory and legislated the non-payment of wages. In Queensland, there was a licensed system that allowed for the recruitment of First Nations peoples without their consent. First Nations peoples were forced to work for tobacco and flour, but, let me be clear, working for rations is slavery. First Nations peoples in Australia were made to work on pearl farms and on pastoral stations for nothing. Members of the stolen generations were denied their wages, education and childhood while working as domestic servants or farmhands after they were forcibly removed from their families.

Throughout the 19th century, around 62,500 Pacific islanders were transported to Australia and enslaved to work in the sugarcane fields of Queensland and New South Wales. The practice was known as blackbirding, a phrase which comes from the African slave trade. Pacific islanders were kidnapped, exploited and transferred as an asset when property was sold. In some cases entire male populations were kidnapped.

Last year the Queensland government settled a landmark federal class action. They agreed to pay $190 million in compensation to First Nations peoples who had their wages stolen by the government. The judge found that First Nations workers were, 'controlled by government-appointed superintendents or protectors in relation to their ability or capacity to earn income, own property, move or travel to areas outside the settlements, marry or even engage in customary native practices.' Not being paid for work or being told who you can marry is slavery. That's part of that court case.

This ruling is just the tip of the iceberg. First Nations peoples are still fighting for justice and stolen wages, including in my home state of Western Australia. First Nations peoples had their land stolen, their labour stolen and their children stolen. This is the truth of our colonial history. The effects are still being felt today.

I urge all members in this place to end the silence and the denial. It is time for truth-telling, listening and healing as we stand with First Nations peoples to address the unfinished business in this country of which we have a lot. We will not successfully close the gap until we make sure that we do tell the truth and we do go through a healing process in this country. It is a key part of closing the gap. The Prime Minister denied it and then didn't really apologise, compounding the mistake of saying that slavery did not happen in this country. If he's going to try to apologise, he should do it properly and acknowledge that it did occur—because then he tried to say it didn't occur in New South Wales. Quite clearly it did. Acknowledge the truth.