National Reconciliation Week

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (16:10): Today, we officially commence Reconciliation Week with Sorry Day, and I want to begin by acknowledging we meet on Kaurna land, and I pay my respects to past, present and future elders, the First Nations people of the Australian continent, custodians of the land and water for many, many thousands of years.

This year marks 20 years of Reconciliation Australia and almost three decades of Australia's formal reconciliation process. The theme for Reconciliation Week 2021 is 'More than a word. Reconciliation takes action', urging those who embrace reconciliation and the movement towards taking braver and more impactful actions and those yet to begin the journey to start asking questions and become involved.

Reconciliation Week always remains on 27 May to 3 June to commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey. Thursday 27 May will mark 54 years since the 1967 referendum was passed successfully in which over 90 per cent of Australians voted to amend the constitution to allow the commonwealth to make laws for Aboriginal people and to include them in the census.

On this day, I always think of my friend and long-time Florey resident Aunty Shirley Peisley, the poster girl of the South Australian campaign, and remember and acknowledge the lifetime commitment, dedication and work for Aboriginal people and encouragement of wider community understanding by her and her generation of activists. Reconciliation Week concludes on 3 June and commemorates the Mabo decision of the High Court in 1992, a legal decision recognising the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as traditional owners of their land, paving the way for native title.

When I think of Eddie Mabo and his story and struggle, I am filled with admiration and a little bit of embarrassment because it was on that day I realised how little I knew of Aboriginal people and their culture and, at the age of almost 40, I eventually took action. Adelaide people took part in the national Crossing Bridges for Reconciliation marches in 2000 after the Hindmarsh Island bridge became such a divisive issue for us in the 1990s. Many of us remember gathering on the banks of the Torrens on 13 February 2008 by the rotunda to hear a live cross to federal parliament and the reading by the then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations.

Every year, we celebrate the life of Lowitja O'Donoghue through the Don Dunstan Foundation's oration named in her honour, this year's being the 14^th, when we will welcome Pat Anderson at Bonython Hall on Tuesday 1 June. The Reconciliation SA Adelaide breakfast continues to grow and be inspiring, led by co-chairs Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly, and holder of many positions within UniSA, Professor Peter Buckskin, another longtime Florey local. This year's event will be held on Friday 28 May.

Over the past year, we have seen further actions as Australians gather to protest Black Lives Matter, and we are seeing more people understanding the truth and speaking up on issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Most recently, on 15 April thousands rallied and marched on the streets of Adelaide and beyond to protest the horrific number of Aboriginal deaths in custody. The protest also marked 30 years since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. Few of the 339 recommendations made were adopted, and since February 1991 at least 447 Indigenous people have died in custody.

Aboriginal people continue to be over-represented in the criminal justice system, comprising 30 per cent of those in custody while only 3 per cent of Australia's total population. It was not until July 2020 that the state government introduced new regulations requiring South Australian police officers to notify the state's Aboriginal legal services as soon as an Aboriginal person enters custody, as was recommended in the 1991 royal commission.

Reconciliation Week celebrates a focus on unity and healing, and it also reminds us of many issues and barriers that still exist. In 2017, the First Nations National Constitutional Convention met to discuss and agree on an approach to better recognise and acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders within the constitution. The Uluru Statement from the Heart was formulated and outlines two main objectives. The statement seeks to establish a First Nations voice and Aboriginal representation for better engagement between government and Aboriginal communities and the establishment of the Makarrata Commission to supervise truth telling about our history, including invasion, massacre, segregation and stolen children.

It has been four years since this statement was made and the relationship and acknowledgement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders within government policies and processes remain limited. The South Australian parliament will soon consider planning a process establishing an Indigenous voice to parliament. I commend the Premier and Commissioner Roger Thomas for their work on this important initiative.

Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs) are developed through a national framework and are designed to contribute to Australia's commitment to reconciliation and continued understanding of the various values, beliefs and languages of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. While many schools, organisations and workplaces have adopted a plan, many have failed to consult with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups to recognise and personalise plans to reflect those communities, while some places, most notably the South Australian parliament, are yet to fully implement a RAP.

Today, Australia is a country that strives to embrace all, and throughout Reconciliation Week we recognise the past struggles and barriers, some overcome but many yet to be resolved. It is important to acknowledge many gaps between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people still remain within our society. To fully commit to this year's theme, 'More than a word. Reconciliation takes action', more statements, plans and strategies need to be actioned.