Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to begin my remarks by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land from which I speak today, the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people. I thank them for the custodianship and care for this beautiful country, the Canberra region, which so many of us now call home. The mountain ranges, the limestone plans, the rivers that surround us here have been cared for continuously for tens of thousands of years by local First Nations people, connected closely to the cultural importance of this landscape. These are places I was lucky enough to grow up surrounded by, but I didn't know enough about First Nations people's connection to the land that I grew up in and around. It wasn't a focus in the education curriculum back then, and there weren't a lot of other ways to learn about Canberra's history before it became our nation's capital. This has slowly started to change, and I sincerely hope that recognition through our nation's Constitution, with a voice to parliament, will help continue to grow that knowledge and gift that knowledge for future generations.

I would also like to acknowledge Senator Pat Dodson, who can't be with us today in person, but who I know is with us in all of our hearts.

It was in 1993 that the Native Title Bill passed the Senate. It was debated for an historic 52 hours. When it passed at 11.58 pm on 22 December, the Senate broke into applause, cheering and laughter, according to recollections of Dr Rosemary Laing, the Clerk of the Senate at the time. Today is another milestone in the Senate's history. The proposed amendment to the Constitution will further cement and enhance the important work that has already come before us to recognise First Nations people's unique place in our history. Furthermore, these changes will give Australia's First Peoples a say in matters that directly affect them. For over 60,000 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have occupied the Australian continent. They represent the oldest continuous living culture in human history. They have been careful custodians of Australia's lands, waters and skies over a span of time that is so long and so deep as to be almost inconceivable.

I remember the day I first read the Uluru Statement from the Heart, when it was first publicly released in 2017 after that historic gathering at Uluru. A short, powerful, generous and heart-wrenching statement to help guide the way forward towards recognition and genuine reconciliation. I was stunned by the generosity contained within—recognition, consultation, a coming together of a country and an invitation to walk together. I was so taken by the generous nature of that statement. I was thinking, after all that had happened—the massacres, the diseases, the policies which had destroyed families and lives for generations; the disadvantage that continues in many parts of this country; the impacts on First Nations children, on culture, on language; the failed policies of government after government—and knowing all that, as we do, we see through the Uluru statement a hand extended. It is a pathway mapped out, searching to find a better way for all of us—for the country, for the future. It is a generous and determined invitation, determined not to lose the opportunity to start to correct the path we are currently on. The passage of this bill tonight will put us firmly on that path, an important step towards giving every Australian voter the chance to vote for a better future for this country. It won't surprise anyone in this chamber to know that I can't wait to vote yes to a referendum question that will finally recognise Australia's proud history, dating back more than 65,000 years. This should be formally included in our nation's Constitution, and the Voice will be the vehicle that ensures that recognition and respect is part of our national progress.

I am proud to be supporting this bill but I'm also humbled. Indigenous Australians have generously and graciously asked us to walk a path with them. This bill will give all Australians the opportunity to take a positive step towards reconciliation, recognition and, importantly listening to First Nations people about services and supports that work for them. This opportunity for a nation does not come along every day. It is rare, and it has been a hard fight for many involved over many, many years. This opportunity is special, and we must seize it.