Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I rise on behalf of the Greens speak to the Electoral Amendment (Territory Representation) Bill 2020. This is a really exciting day and we hope for these reforms to be passed today. With that in mind, I intend to keep my remarks nice and short because we're coming up against the motions hard marker at 11.45 am.

I am really pleased that we are here today. People will recall that the history of this reform. The AEC, based on small population changes in the Territory, ruled that there was to be only one lower house seat to cover the whole Territory rather than the current two. In a very welcome display of chamber unity, we saw both Senator McCarthy and Senator McMahon sponsor a bill to fix that situation, to restore the right to two seats for the Territory and to ensure that the voices of First Nations people wouldn't be further downgraded in this system that has already underdelivered so much. It was a little bit awkward, because the government didn't actually want Senator McMahon to be collaborating. Through discussions behind closed doors, that bill was withdrawn. But I'm really pleased that the government has now put its own version on the table. We don't actually mind whose name is on the front page; the important outcome is that now we will see that two seats in the lower house will be restored for the Northern Territory and also for the ACT. The way it will do that is slightly different to the original bill. It was suggested by Antony Green to use a harmonic mean. The end result is a strong one. At least two seats will be guaranteed, with the possibility of more going forward.

We strongly support this bill. I want to particularly congratulate the efforts of Senator McCarthy and Senator McMahon in pushing this issue, which has led to this excellent outcome.

I have just a few more comments to make. I think everybody understands that the seat of Lingiari—which Senator McCarthy has so beautifully given us the history of—is made up of 40 per cent First Nations people. What an affront to potentially have had that seat abolished. When 27 per cent of the population of the Northern Territory are First Nations people and 40 per cent are in the seat of Lingiari, and when we already see a system here that has so far been pretty deaf to the needs of First Nations people, that would have just been adding insult to injury.

The other issue is the downgrading of regional and rural issues. In proposing to amalgamate it with an urban seat, the seat of Solomon concentrated around Darwin, you would have seen those rural and regional issues again further diluted, with an inevitable focus on urban issues at the expense of those rural and regional areas where 40 per cent are First Nations voters.

We are thrilled to be supporting this bill today. This is a crucial time in our nation's history. Our relationship with the first peoples of this country remains a festering sore that we here could and should be doing so much better on. Our newest Greens senator, Lidia Thorpe, gave a very powerful first speech last night when she talked to these issues in a way that I hope made everyone feel proud and hopeful for the potential for these issues to be resolved. We need to work on treaties, we need to recognise sovereignty, we need a voice to parliament, we need truth-telling, we need justice, we need healing and we need reparations.

To have abolished a seat that was 40 per cent First Nations would have been going in the absolute wrong direction, so the Greens are really pleased to support this bill today which will see the voices of First Nations people maintained. We share Senator McCarthy's view that in fact they should be elevated. We look forward to working on those issues going forward. Thanks again to Senator McCarthy and Senator McMahon for the initial strong move that has culminated in the government's bill today. Well done to the government for actually coming to the table.