Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

All lives matter. The majority of the Senate opposed that motion that was put up by me and supported by only one other senator, Malcolm Roberts. All Australians should be treated equally when it involves the delivery of government services and funding. All citizens and residents are equally deserving of services that make our lives better, but there remains a significant imbalance in the funds and services dedicated specifically to those of Aboriginal heritage as opposed to non-Aboriginals. This was a matter that I raised in my maiden speech to the parliament in 1996, and in the ensuing two decades plus there has been little change to the attitude of the government, which continues to throw money at the problem, with virtually no improvement to the lives of those needy Aboriginals. It seems to be a bottomless pit into which money continues to be thrown, but that money has achieved virtually nothing.

If taxpayer funds are spent in a specific area, we are right to expect positive outcomes. As I said in the Senate in February 2020, most Australians know that tens of billions of dollars are spent each year to help alter the standard of living of those in remote Aboriginal communities and even those living in developed parts of Australia. When you spend billions of dollars a year on any group of people, you expect outcomes. Sadly, those billions have gone to the non-productive, unrepentant Aboriginal industry, not to where they should go, the grassroots Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is an industry that has achieved no notable benefits in pulling our First Nations people out of squalor, domestic violence and poverty.

Over the years I have been labelled a racist for my views, mostly by white Australians and those Indigenous people who thrive financially for themselves and their families. I call it the Aboriginal industry. Their agenda is not in the best interest of all Australians, white or black. It's about milking the cow—the taxpayer—crying the victim constantly and blaming whites for a so-called invasion.

I was born in Australia. This is my land. Where the hell do I go? I will not accept the blame game for the so-called invasion you refer to. Your push to change our history books and the false claims that are foisted on our young throughout our education system are disgraceful, all to better suit the Left's agenda. All atrocities must be noted and taught to ensure we acknowledge our past, but, more importantly, to protect our future.

I will not acknowledge or echo the words 'welcome to country' that have been forced on people to say at functions or events. I am very respectful to those who have fought for our freedom and sacrificed their lives for the way of life that we all have the opportunity to enjoy today. I will not support those whose agenda is to divide us as Australians. Wanting a separate nation within a nation at the expense of the Australian taxpayer—this should never happen.

Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that I have met over the years, including many elders, have come to understand my honesty and resolve and not the lies they had been fed—mostly by Labor and the Greens, less so by the coalition—to destroy me and stop One Nation from taking their votes. Remember, it was John Howard who disendorsed me as a candidate in 1996 when I called for equality for all Australians.

The Closing the gap report 2020 shows just how little improvement has been realised for Aboriginal people, despite the billions spent each year over the past decades. As I have said many times, money alone will not solve the problem. It comes back to determination, discipline and a willingness to make the changes, and that must come primarily from the Aboriginal people themselves.

I met recently with a group of strong and focused Aboriginal women from all parts of Australia who are desperate for positive change for their children and their communities. I think it makes sense to allow women to play a bigger role and have a say in the direction taken by initiatives to improve the lives of Aboriginal Australians. These same Aboriginal women and elders say they want the Aboriginal land councils gone or made accountable; they are corrupt and don't represent the needs of the Aboriginal people. There is duplication of Aboriginal services, costing billions of taxpayers' dollars to prop them up, with no review or accountability—why? Members in this place are continually calling for accountability from other government departments.

In seven key areas the Closing the Gap initiative has not performed well, with even Prime Minister Scott Morrison admitting the poor results. Poor results will continue in substance abuse, domestic violence, child sexual abuse, education, housing, jobs, health and Aboriginal incarceration if we keep giving excuses, calling them disadvantaged, throwing money at the problems and treating their ineptness as our responsibility, when they have to take responsibility for their own actions. Someone needs to start looking in the mirror.

The child sexual abuse that is committed in Aboriginal communities is an absolute disgrace. Very little is done about it by authorities because they are black and they pull the race and cultural card. Those poor children, and also the women who are bashed and raped—is that the fault of the white man? No. Go to Doomadgee and see the children walking the streets to at night to flee the abuse they receive in their own homes from their own parents and family members. Is that the white man's fault? No.

I have had a gutful of the bleating from the Greens and others. How many Indigenous people have you had in your homes? Have you fought personally to help an Indigenous woman in prison to get her life on track? Have you been with her seven children in her own home? I very much doubt it. I have. Many in this place are all BS and push their own political agenda without really understanding the implications and ramifications of what they are saying. My research has found that, although the systems and programs may have changed in some ways and perhaps become more complex, there is still an overwhelming imbalance weighing heavily in favour of Aboriginal Australians in services provided in the areas of education, legal services, housing loans, health, royalties for mining operations and employment support services.

Are handouts a good thing? Do they help improve the lives and positions of many Aboriginals, particularly those who live in remote areas? To favour any one race in Australia over other races in government support and the provision of services amounts to racist policy and actually prolongs the problems. There are many Australians who would love the handouts and opportunities given to the Indigenous. I might add that many Indigenous are living in very nice housing, are in well paid jobs and are not struggling, but they can apply for educational assistance for their children that many Australians would love for their own children but can't get because of race. Tell me this is not racism.

As I said at the outset, additional handouts to Aboriginals do not help them. They make them reliant on government and actually prevent them from becoming independent and being able to create new and more fulfilling lives for themselves. We need to encourage Aboriginal people themselves to take control of their communities, to reduce substance use and abuse, to encourage school attendance and education, and to promote discipline and determination in employment.

The definition of 'Aboriginal' continues to be contentious and unclear in many cases. The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies provides an outline of three working criteria for confirming Aboriginality which are usually accepted by government agencies and community organisations. These three criteria are:

It is worth noting that the number of those who identify as Aboriginals has increased dramatically in the last 50 years. In 1971 there were officially 115,953 Aboriginals in Australia, or 0.9 per cent. Since that time, we've had an increase of 459 per cent, while the population generally has increased by 83.5 per cent. Some suggest the increase is the result of increased willingness to identify as Aboriginal. It is a matter for further research as to whether the increase is because of the loose definition and the many government benefits available to Aboriginals. I believe it is. To all those struggling Australians wanting equal opportunities for their children and families: tick the box. There is no place in our country for racism or, for that matter, reverse racism.

I will finish with a quote from a speech given by Martin Luther King Jr in 1963:

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

This is what I want for Australia. Every individual life matters. Aboriginal lives matter. All lives matter.