Dorinda Cox (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For the past three years, I have attended the annual Yamatji On-Country events held in the Pilbara and Mid West-Gascoyne regions of WA. This is a festival of culture, song, dance, food, language and people who are all critical to sustain the oldest living continuing culture in the world. It is a place to come together and for community members to hold important conversations about what affects their lives and the solutions they want to see implemented through their calls to action. It's a true example of what community-driven solutions, self-determination and place based solutions all look like.

At each of these events I have heard WA grassroots communities talk about the importance of their voices being heard by all in state and federal politics. Yet this continues to be ignored by those in governments. Nothing gets actioned, and, even if they show up, there have been no report cards or any solutions from either one of the major parties in the last few years. There are important issues such as racism, leadership, housing and accommodation, police and justice, education and employment, training and economic development, and health and wellbeing that are being raised across both forums.

The Mid West event occurred days after the National Cabinet was in Perth, but not one federal politician had the decency to turn up. So much for hearing their voices! There was just a cold, deafening silence for those on the ground. The government rolled into town and met with hand-picked organisations, not the grassroots democracy in action. People need to be included in these conversations about how things actually work on the ground. Our communities are sick and tired of not hearing any truth-telling or seeing any truth-listening by MPs who bring hollow promises all the way to Western Australia.