Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] Despite every effort to close the gap between First Nations descendants and Australians of all colours and creeds, we continue to entrench their victim status with endless cash handouts and infinite apologies. I stand here as an elected add member of this parliament, as a voice for Queenslanders and Australians. Any suggestion to legislate or change our Constitution to incorporate a voice to parliament will strongly be opposed by One Nation.

As my friend, and granddaughter of Paddy Uluru has repeatedly said, 'How can you have Indigenous people in parliament and advising parliament who have never lived an Aboriginal life?' She calls these people, people like Marcia Langton, and Tom Calma, 'bitumen blacks'. There is no incentive to close the gap, because there are so many businesses and bureaucrats whose livelihoods solely depend on division. In other words, sustaining the gap is big business.

I find the words of Scott Morrison's Closing the Gap speech today completely disingenuous. The Prime Minister's remarks are as hollow as the eucalypt limbs used to produce the didgeridoo. We must put a stop to entrenching the victim status of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The majority are not victims; they are capable, resilient and valuable Australians who should be encouraged to participate in Australia's optimistic future. Our nation's history is not perfect; we know that. But we will only close the gap when we treat all Australians equally and on the basis of individual needs, not race.