Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (NT, Country Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Hansard source

():  Today in the gallery we are joined by three very brave, admirable women, Veronica and Margaret Lynch and Sabella Turner. Not only are they respected elders within the Arrernte community, but they are traditional owners whose interests are supposed to be represented and protected by the Central Land Council. We're also joined in the gallery today by the chair of the Central Land Council, Matthew Palmer.

These four are here because they have seen the dysfunction that presently exists within the ranks of the Central Land Council. They are here because, for too long, they have lived the reality of a system that was set up with good intentions but, in reality, is not transparent, lacks accountability and lacks meaningful appeal processes. They are here because they've experienced the disconnect between the letter of the law and its application in real world, its application to their lives. They are here because they are now at breaking point.

These are four brave individuals. They are here because of this dysfunction. They haven't sat around and complained about it. No; they've decided to take the matter into their hands, to be heard right here in the halls of parliament and for the government to listen to them and for my colleagues—all of you—to hear from them about the need for an inquiry into land councils.

These four are here because they dare to believe that things can be different, that they can be better, both for the land council and its members, who are some of our most marginalised Indigenous Australians. We talked about a voice recently. Well it's time to have some ears in this place listen to the traditional owners, the people of this land.