Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I will rise to contribute to this debate and associate myself with the comments made by my fellow Greens colleagues. Sitting here listening to the level of debate on this issue, you'd think this mob had totally forgotten what happened at Juukan Gorge. You'd think they'd absolutely forgotten. They don't care about it. We have a history in this country of pretending to listen while totally ignoring the will, the rights, the interests and the views of Indigenous communities and then, when the government is called to account and the companies in charge do the wrong thing, they all wring their hands and say, 'Oh! Sorry, sorry, sorry! We won't do it again.'

Here we have the coalition, led by the National Party in NSW, whipping up frenzy because we need some proper protections for an area that is clearly culturally significant to the local Indigenous population, the traditional owners in that area. Let's point out that the minister hasn't said that this gold mine can't happen. This tailings dam that was proposed to be right smack-bang in the middle of a culturally significant waterway shouldn't happen, so find somewhere else for it.

The absolute outrage and hysteria that come from the coalition, fed by the Murdoch press, are ludicrous. It's absolutely ludicrous. Honestly! You'd think these people were in Trump's America. They've got no original ideas. They pull out every trope they can find. When it means beating up on some local Aboriginal people, they do it, and they get their local Murdoch rag to pile on, too. This has nothing to do with the integrity of law in this country, with protecting the environment from this side or with proper process. This is about hysteria, race-baiting, dog whistling and their anti-environment agenda. That's all it is. They've got nothing else going for them, this mob—nothing.

There have been six rounds of consultation in relation to this issue. The minister has made a decision based on listening to that advice, hearing from the experts and acknowledging that there is intangible cultural significance held in these sites, in this particular area. And this mob, so blinded by their own ignorance, want to say, 'Oh, it's all secret.' It's not secret just because you don't understand it. That doesn't make it secret, mate. Seriously! How about a little bit of intelligence coming from that side over there!

I mean, I understand that the coalition in New South Wales are in total disarray. They can't even get their bloody applications for a local council in on time. It is like the Hunger Games in the New South Wales coalition right now, and the National Party are chomping at the bit. They need some red meat for the base. And this is what they choose—to beat up on the local Aboriginal people in this area, their deeply held views and the cultural significance of this area and this site. What a disgrace! Come in here and have a proper discussion about how we have proposals for gold mines without wrecking the environment and trashing cultural heritage. You can do it, actually. It's been done in other places. You can do it. But you're too lazy. You don't actually care about this particular proposal. All you want is the flogging and the witch-hunt. All you're interested in is the race-baiting.

This is just one example of what is to come from a Dutton government. It'll be issue after issue after issue. None of these ideas are original. They're the same old debates and the same old tropes. Peter Dutton thinks he's Australia's Trump, and he's proud of it. Barnaby Joyce is sitting there laughing and carrying on, clapping and cheering. He thinks he's bloody JD Vance! You're not, mate. Honestly! The level of ignorance from the coalition on this issue is gobsmacking but not surprising. You've learnt nothing from Juukan Gorge. You've learnt nothing from the years of trashing cultural heritage left, right and centre in this country.

Indigenous communities deserve to have their voices heard, listened to and given some damn respect, not hand-wringing afterwards. It happens every single time traditional owners stand up for their place, their country, which has important cultural significance to them, and try to protect their local environment. They get torn down, used, humiliated and attacked. If it's not coming from the Leader of the Opposition or the National Party, it's coming directly from the bozos at the Murdoch press. It's all they do. It's the only trick in the book. Then, after it all happens—after the project goes ahead and the sacred sites are ruined—years later comes the apology: 'Oh, sorry. We wish we'd known.' Open your ears! Open your eyes! Learn a thing or two!

This disallowance motion is a disgrace. It should be voted down and it will be, because most people in this chamber can see it for what it is.