Matt O'Sullivan (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Anyone who knows me and those who have only known me for a short time would know I am deeply committed to seeing the gap that exists between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians removed. It is completely unacceptable that we have a life expectancy gap, a child mortality gap, an educational gap. The prospect of any Australian having a long fruitful life cut short by any amount is completely unacceptable. The Voice proposal, the actual idea that you would listen to people that legislation or programs affect and tailor and respond to the advice that you are given, is a very sound idea. There is actually no denying that. But, simply, the idea that you would change the Constitution at law and create a division between Australians on the basis of race is fundamentally flawed. The idea and the proposal are flawed.

This government have an opportunity to actually get a mechanism to be able to listen to and respond to the needs of the section of the community that desperately needs change. They could do that through legislation. They should be starting at a local and regional level first, because that was actually the recommendation that came out of the Calma-Langton report—that that is where you would start, and you would develop it, if it was required, up from there. Let's face it, a lot of the issues that are on the ground are very local and regional. In fact, they are often within state jurisdictional responsibilities, things such as law and order, health, education, state related issues, even housing to a great extent.

This government is choosing to go down a path that, as we are seeing, is dividing Australians. You can blame those that are opposed to it as much as you like, and that is what we heard in answers to questions today from Senator Wong and from Senator Gallagher. There is a blame shifting that is going on and, frankly, it is unacceptable. You are the ones who have created this mess. What we have here is the situation where an idea has been put to the Australian people, and, sometimes, you have to actually stand up and maybe provide some frank advice. There is an old saying, 'faithful are the wounds from a friend; they are better than a kiss from an enemy', meaning to say that sometimes even issues that are sound that are brought to you need to be rejected because you know that they are actually going to cause harm. In this case, this Voice proposal, this proposed constitutional change, is causing harm within this community. We are dividing Australians on the basis of race, and it is unacceptable. Frankly, now that it's left the political elite class and it's going out there into the public, the public are judging it, and that's why there is this huge reaction to it. The polls are showing a trajectory towards this thing failing. What the government should do is stop, pause, reflect and listen to what the Australian people are saying and respond appropriately, which would be to cease with the referendum and legislate a model that starts at the grassroots, that starts on the ground.

If anyone wants to question me on what I'm saying on this, you need to come with me out into communities across Western Australia where I'm from and you will hear from people. I was in Fitzroy Crossing and the people in Fitzroy Crossing said, 'We don't even like people from Derby, just down the road, speaking on our behalf, so how can the 28 or 30 people that will come to parliament represent all of us—when we can't even get the representation from down the road?' We've got to start at a local and regional level, and this government is breaking the heart of Australians who want to see change.

The good thing that's come about from this whole debate is the one thing uniting us—people that have maybe never really thought about Indigenous disadvantage are now thinking about it for the first time and are saying, 'We must do something.' But what's being planned by this government is all wrong.