Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Evans, the Minister representing the Prime Minister. In making his apology to Indigenous people at the beginning of parliament two years ago, the Prime Minister said:

… unless the great symbolism of reconciliation is accompanied by an even greater substance, it is little more than a clanging gong.

On 3April last year, the Rudd government subscribed to the international Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples providing amongst other things for ‘the right to own, use, develop and control’ their own lands. In view of this, Minister, will the Labor government be supporting Mr Abbott’s private member’s bill to overturn the Queensland Wild Rivers Act and so give Indigenous people the right to own, use, develop and control their own lands?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Macdonald for his question, although it was not really a question; it was more of a diatribe, I think. We are committed to the rights of Indigenous people and the senator is correct in pointing out the action we took in joining the UN instrument and expressing support for the rights of Indigenous people. It is also the case that in making the apology to Indigenous people we were supported by the Liberal Party at the time, I am pleased to say. That was a very helpful development in the Liberal Party attitude to our Indigenous people.

When made the apology we also indicated that our clear policy commitment was to closing the gap in Indigenous disadvantage, and that is where the rubber hits the road. We are absolutely committed to that task. I have urged those opposite to join with us in that effort because I think that, until we get bipartisan support for these measures, we are not actually going to make progress. Over the years, we have seen governments, with the best of intentions, try and assist Indigenous people to take their rightful place in this society—and we have all failed. We are absolutely committed to the closing the gap targets. That is why on 11 February this year, the closest sitting date to the anniversary of the apology, the report about our progress on closing the gap will be delivered to the parliament. We will address the practical issues as well as recognising the symbolic significance of the apology. We accept entirely that practical progress is absolutely necessary, not just the very important symbolic statement that was involved with the apology. (Time expired)

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I assume that the minister, then, is going to support Mr Abbott’s bill, because that is a practical thing for Indigenous people. I ask the minister if the federal government accepts that the Queensland—

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Conroy interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Conroy, I am trying to listen to the question.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask the minister if the federal government accepts that the Queensland Labor government’s wild rivers legislation is a real problem for Indigenous people, as alleged by Indigenous leaders like Noel Pearson, Dion Creek, Lizzie Lakefield and Peter Kyle?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are a range of issues there. We are obviously considering the legislation but I think our view is that it is a very serious step to invoke Commonwealth powers to overturn the laws of a state. It has always been a traditional Liberal Party position, as I understand it, not to do so. So I think it is noteworthy that Mr Abbott is now in favour of Commonwealth intervention to overturn state laws. I wonder how Senator Bernardi and the others from the right-wing branch of the Liberal Party feel about such steps. I do respect the views of Mr Pearson and other Aboriginal leaders in the Cape York area. They have a right to express their views and, clearly, they have a knowledge of the area that makes it that those views should be taken seriously. We think that engaging directly with the Queensland government on these issues is the best policy response.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I refer the minister to Mr Rudd saying a year ago that closing the gap with Indigenous people ‘will require our entire nation to work together’. I ask: why isn’t the Labor government doing what the Prime Minister promised to do by working together with Tony Abbott and Indigenous leaders in Cape York to get a better deal for Cape York’s Indigenous people by repealing— (Time expired)

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Working cooperatively does not necessarily mean accepting all the views of Mr Tony Abbott. What it does mean is engaging both with the Indigenous population of the cape and with the Queensland government about the impact of this legislation. That is the way this government seeks to do business. We do not—

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is what Indigenous people want.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator, I am interested that you are suddenly the voice of Indigenous people. I was here during the native title debates and you were certainly not the voice of the Indigenous people then. In fact, you sought to deny them their rights to native title in this country. So I will not be lectured by you, Senator, about who is the voice of Indigenous people. I will not be lectured by you—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Evans, address your comments to the chair and not across the chamber.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I need order on both sides. Senator Macdonald, you have asked your question. You are entitled to hear the answer but you are not entitled to come back during the answer. I have asked Senator Evans to address his comments to the chair and not to the individual senator.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are very interested in Indigenous views on the cape, as elsewhere. We are very engaged with the Queensland government and them on these issues, but we do not think blundering in with legislation to overturn the Queensland legislation is the appropriate response in resolving this matter. (Time expired)