Standing Order 39 – Motion
Tuesday 6 September 2022
S.E. ANDREWS (Gibson) (12:10): It is an honour to rise to support this motion for the introduction of an Acknowledgement of Country and traditional owners in the standing orders. I pay my respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the traditional owners of country. I recognise their connection to land and waters, and pay my respects to their beliefs and culture and to elders past and present. This is Aboriginal land—always was, always will be.
The federal parliament has been formally acknowledging our First Nations people since 2010. Many local governments, state departments and—as the member for Elder acknowledged—kindergartens also conduct an Acknowledgement of Country before their meetings and events.
For many of us, as members of parliament, attending citizenship ceremonies is very powerful and one of the favourite parts of our roles. It is where we witness an Acknowledgement of Country and see it through the eyes of new citizens to Australia—our newest Australians listening, before a very significant milestone in their life, to an acknowledgement of the culture that has been part of this country for tens of thousands of years.
We are fortunate in South Australia to have an Aboriginal man as our Attorney-General and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs. The Hon. Kyam Maher is a man of wisdom, heart and commitment to our First Nations people. This change to the standing orders is just a small part of the commitment to Aboriginal people by the Malinauskas Labor government, which I am proud to be a part of—a government that wants to walk alongside Aboriginal people, listen to them, support their ambitions for the future and deliver real outcomes that all South Australians can value.
This change to the standing orders will ensure that at the start of each sitting day the words, 'We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional owners of this country throughout South Australia, and their connection to land and community. We pay our respects to them and their culture and to elders both past and present', will be heard in this house. We are lucky to live in a nation comprising hundreds of Aboriginal nations that have been protecting what we now call Australia for at least 60,000 years. I think many are too quick to forget the significance of this, especially compared to the mere 234 years that Europeans have lived on this land.
As a government, we believe in Aboriginal self-determination to guide and protect the oldest living culture on our planet. We are committed to a state-based implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart: Voice, Treaty, Truth. This process has started, with extensive consultations being led by the Commissioner for First Nations Voice, Dale Agius, currently underway with the South Australian Aboriginal community. Dale is another member of our community who we can be very proud of, and I know that these consultations will be honest, frank and meaningful.
That is the Labor way: listening, learning and acting. Whether it was the late Gough Whitlam in the Northern Territory in 1975, Paul Keating at Redfern in 1992, or Kevin Rudd in our nation's federal parliament in 2008, Labor prime ministers have shown our commitment to Aboriginal people. We now see the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags behind our current Prime Minister.
Our Labor government is committed to restarting the Treaty process in our state and establishing a truth-telling process that recognises all aspects of our past. It has been four years since the last Labor government first started discussions with three Aboriginal nations, with our aim of finalising a Treaty paused by the election of the Marshall government.
A key part of Truth is understanding and recognising our history. If you do not know your history, you cannot respect, acknowledge and protect it. As a government, we are committed to Aboriginal statues and monuments that recognise South Australian Aboriginal leaders and will help current and future generations to understand the value and contribution of our Aboriginal community.
It is crucial that young Aboriginal South Australians see statues and monuments of members of their community so that they feel their past leaders and heroes are respected by our community. You cannot be what you cannot see, and if you cannot see your leaders and heroes alongside those in the broader community that does send a strong message that your elders are not valued in our society.
Consultations are currently underway with Aboriginal community members, and are being led by the Commissioner for Aboriginal Engagement, Dr Roger Thomas. This is important, because decisions cannot be made on who should be immortalised without true consultations with our Aboriginal community leaders, and it is only appropriate that one of the changes is an Acknowledgement of Country each sitting day in this house so that all members have, at the front of their mind, protecting the Aboriginal culture and working to improve the future for our Aboriginal brothers and sisters as we conduct our business.
Aboriginal incarceration rates are a national shame, and it reflects on every member of our community that we imprison so many of our Aboriginal people across our nation. Our government is currently in the process of establishing an advisory commission into Aboriginal incarceration rates. This is an important step for our government, as we know that across the nation the rate of incarceration is way too high.
Additionally, our government is undertaking to legislate to enshrine the Nunga Court as part of our justice system, ensuring that Aboriginal elders have a voice in sentencing offenders and in the healing of victims. The Nunga Court at the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court was the first culturally appropriate court for Aboriginal defendants in Australia and is the inspiration for the Aboriginal community courts that sit once a month at Adelaide and Elizabeth.
Quality education is critical in everyone's life, whether it be school, TAFE, university or just throughout our daily living, and that is why I am pleased that the Malinauskas Labor government has committed to transferring Tauondi College at Port Adelaide to Aboriginal control and ownership to help secure its future. We can all be proud that Tauondi College was the first place in South Australia, and only the third nationally, to deliver Aboriginal-controlled education for Aboriginal people.
Tauondi is a Kaurna word meaning 'to penetrate' or 'break through'. Tauondi Aboriginal College has been breaking through to deliver vocational education and training since 1973. Tauondi Aboriginal College provides education and training for the whole person, upholding Aboriginal cultures and identities in ways that respect Aboriginal law and custom and the diversity of students' experiences and ambitions. Tauondi also provides a diverse and wide range of services to meet the ever-changing needs of Aboriginal communities in South Australia. We should be proud of Tauondi, its staff and students, and the work it does in the Deputy Premier's electorate for Aboriginal people across South Australia.
The government's agenda for Aboriginal affairs is extensive, and the next area in which this government is listening to Aboriginal people is in relation to the environment, one I certainly value, whether it be our stunning coastline or the Warriparinga and Oaklands wetlands, all of which I enjoy visiting with my family and dog. The Warriparinga wetlands offers natural beauty, including native plants and animals, and is a respected place for cultural and environmental education as well as being home to the Living Kaurna Cultural Centre, which interprets Kaurna culture and heritage. This site has one of the few remaining scar trees on the Adelaide Plains, and was a gathering place for Kaurna people.
While the local Kaurna people and the City of Marion ensure that Aboriginal heritage and this area is protected, this is not always the case across South Australia. That is why protecting Aboriginal heritage is a priority for this government. In consultation with local communities, Labor is undertaking to increase financial penalties for serious breaches of Aboriginal heritage laws so that penalties for destroying the past are not seen just as the cost of doing business.
Alongside the protection of Aboriginal heritage is the care for our country. Aboriginal people have cared for our country for tens of thousands of years. Through fire, flood, and drought management they have significant knowledge about the land and protecting our environment. That is why a Malinauskas Labor government is establishing a First Nations advisory group to speak directly to the Minister for the Environment, the member for Port Adelaide, and employing 15 extra Aboriginal rangers to better care for our country.
This initiative will not only see the crucial knowledge and understanding of our natural environment brought forward but it will allow Aboriginal people to work on their own country with local community groups, have their Voice heard, and bring positive change. Additionally, it will support culture, storytelling, and language, while ensuring the protection of the country for future generations. The government is further ensuring that Aboriginal voices are heard on the future of our River Murray. As we all know, the river is a lifeblood for our state, and holds significance for our Aboriginal communities.
As we all know, health is our most important asset, and sadly the health outcomes for Aboriginal people are far worse than for the rest of the population. This is not something that we should accept. We are working to improve the health of our Aboriginal people. Together with federal Labor, we are providing more than $15 million to give Yadu Health in Ceduna a new home, and additionally we are providing the required funding to Nganampa Health to implement Gayle's Law to help keep nurses and patients safe in remote communities.
I am proud to be a member of a government that has an ambitious agenda for Aboriginal Affairs covering many important areas, and finally listening to First Nations people. I commend the Premier's motion to the house.
