Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The story of our nation is often told through our sporting accolades and our great pride in our scientific advancements and academic achievements and through celebrating our unique and wonderful natural environments, but our record on how we treat First Nations Australians is inseparable from our identity in Australia. Our history as a nation will be judged by the actions governments take now to address the inequalities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, giving all of us an equal playing field.

First Nations mob are strong and resilient. Every year, we face numbers that tell a story that is hard to process. They tell the story of a gap between those of us who were born as First Nations people and those who were not. I have been grappling with these numbers since I first heard the statistics as a 15-year-old in a high school classroom. Since that day, I have been driven every day to change those numbers, and that's why I'm a part of the Albanese Labor government—we're building Australia's future, easing the cost of living and delivering record investments in First Nations outcomes to close the gap.

This report tells a story of a Labor government which is creating jobs and building economic empowerment for First Nations communities, easing housing overcrowding and improving safety. Some highlights for me in particular are that, over the last year, we've commenced the new Remote Jobs and Economic Development program, which will create up to 3,000 jobs in remote communities over three years, and we've expanded the Connected Beginnings program, which supports First Nations children to thrive in early years. I've spoken many times in this chamber about how crucial the early years are. With the right support early on, we can set kids up for life.

While Peter Dutton and the opposition want to rip away the opportunity to build your future, we're giving Australians the opportunity to undertake free study, with over 30,000 First Nations Australians enrolling in our free TAFE programs across the country. We've significantly increased funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander legal services and family violence prevention legal services, to help more women and children who are escaping family, domestic and sexual violence. We've committed $842 million to delivering essential services for remote communities, including policing, women's safety, health and education in the Northern Territory. We've expanded the Indigenous Rangers program to create 1,000 new jobs, which includes 770 for First Nations women. I'm also heartened by the commitment to expand much-needed services for birthing on country, mental health and nutrition.

The 2025 Closing the Gap implementation plan outlines the strategy for the year ahead. There is so much in this plan that sparks optimism for the future for mob. I was particularly excited to see the commitment to establishing a place based business coaching and mentoring program for First Nations businesswomen and entrepreneurs.

Through my role as the Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, I've had the chance to learn more about the economic contribution of First Nations people. Australia's First Peoples have been traders, innovators, entrepreneurs and knowledgeholders for more than 65,000 years. We have an unbroken knowledge of invention, innovation and resilience. Our contribution to Australia's economy and local communities is significant and far-reaching—beyond gross domestic product—and it's growing rapidly.

The committee learned that First Nations businesses contribute $16.1 billion in revenue each year and that for every dollar of revenue spent, First Nations enterprises create $4.41 of economic and social value. That's why we are also expanding the role and remit of Indigenous Business Australia to boost First Nations economic empowerment, strengthening the Indigenous Procurement Policy and investing $16.9 million to deliver a First Nations economic empowerment agenda.

At the core of self-determination is the freedom to write your own story. I want to write a story of our mob building on their resilience with their unique knowledge and skills, and taking our place as economic contributors and partners in this country. I am proud to be part of the Albanese Labor government and to work with colleagues, like Minister McCarthy and Prime Minister Albanese, who are writing that story with me and with all First Nations Australians.