Personal Explanation

MINISTER'S REMARKS

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (15:07): I seek leave to make a personal explanation.

Leave granted.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Thank you, Madam Speaker, or, correctly, Nyimbala, to use your Aboriginal name. Yesterday in this place in answer to a question from the member for Florey, the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation said, and I quote from Hansard:

I will say this, you can't get a deep understanding by occasionally squeezing into moleskins, whacking on the R.M. Williams boots and making reckless statements from Yulara.

He went on to say:

You just can't do that. You would be better off spending a little bit of time up there.

He then went on to say:

I look forward, in a bipartisan way I hope, to working with the opposition...

Madam Speaker, as you know, ever since I have been in this place, I have tried to work in a bipartisan way at personal cost in some cases, with the government on Aboriginal affairs.

I have a deep understanding of what is going on in Aboriginal communities, in fact, I think I am the only one in here who speaks any Pitjantjatjara: 'Nyalu Pitjantjatjara wankapai tyjuku tjuku' and that means 'I speak a little Pitjantjatjara.' I understand a lot more that I can speak. I think I am the only person in this place who has been taken out by the Watties to a sacred site to see parts of the law that is being undertaken. I have a deep understanding of that. I cannot get in my moleskins anymore. I cannot do that. I was a lot slimmer when I had a vet practice. I am developing a thicker skin, not putting on weight, and I do have R.M. Williams boots so he was correct there.

Can I put on the record that in 2003 when I first went to the APY lands with the former member for Stuart, Mr Graham Gunn, the member for MacKillop and the member for Schubert, I was absolutely gobsmacked by what I saw. I went back in 2004 with the late Terry Roberts who was the minister then. We spent four nights on the lands.

Mrs GERAGHTY: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: I do not think we need the point of order. Member for Morphett, this is becoming a grievance or a speech rather than a personal explanation. You need to finish off. If you wish to do a grievance on this, then you should do so.

Dr McFETRIDGE: I just wanted to emphasise the point that I have been on the lands many times and I look forward to working in a bipartisan way with the minister.