APY LANDS

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (14:39): No more supplementaries after that one! I seek leave to make explanation prior to directing a question to the Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion on the APY lands.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Yesterday I outlined a letter written in April of this year to the minister from Mr Willy Pompey, a senior Aboriginal leader from the Aboriginal lands who had waited six months for the minister because the minister had refused to reply. It would appear from the minister's answers in parliament yesterday that he obviously does not think Mr Pompey is important enough to merit receiving a response from him as minister.

I am informed that, due to the anger and frustration amongst the Aboriginal community on the APY lands at not receiving a reply from the minister for six months, on 8 October this year Mr Pompey wrote another letter, this time not to the minister because the minister was not replying, but to a senior officer within the minister's department who I will not name at this stage. In that letter Mr Pompey states:

The truth is that it is the non-Anangu who are eating up the vast majority of the money. We see them fly in-fly out. We see them stay in motels and even resorts when they go to Uluru. The high-up government people who come to give us workshops to educate us don't stay in the same basic accommodation as my Centrelink paid people do. No, because they believe they are better than us and so deserve better than us and so they are provided for better than us.

Further on he states:

We have many service providers on the Lands. They have come here with big government contracts to 'help' Anangu. These people make lots and lots of money to do a job. What is their job? To train Anangu so that they can be full-time employed and support their families. I think they call this Closing the Gap and Aboriginal self-determination??? The problem is that the non-Anangu are employed full-time and the Anangu work for Centrelink money. Even worse, I am seeing our young people being used to sign in each day to be 'trained' and then they can go home for the day without any training. As long as the service providers have them on their books they are happy as they get more funding.

Why should my people feel intimidated by members of non-Anangu staff from DCSI for meagre Centrelink payments? Your staff have disrespected us many many times. You are not listening nor are you caring. Some staff of DCSI have had entry permits taken from them, yet they still come onto our property. How would you feel if people came onto your property and would not leave when you asked them? I am sure you would take legal action. These staff members have seriously offended Anangu and are not permitted to enter our Lands. Heed this warning.

And then finally:

I intend making sure that this degrading state of affairs is made known to all Australians. I will go to politicians, the media, international human rights, anyone who will listen to tell the story of the ongoing destruction of my people. Other communities have their own similar stories that they are telling.

My questions to the minister are:

1. Will he ensure a thorough investigation of the concerns outlined in this letter of 8 October this year to a senior member of the department reporting to the minister and, in particular, will he have investigated the particular complaint that young Aboriginal people are being used to sign in each day to be trained but then go home for the day without any training?

2. Is the minister concerned that a senior Aboriginal leader such as Mr Pompey believes that departmental staff in his department have disrespected Aboriginal leaders such as himself and others, and does he concede that the minister's disrespect to Aboriginal leaders in not responding or being prepared to respond to Mr Pompey's letter from six months ago has set a sad and unfortunate example to the staff in his own department, which they are now evidently following?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (14:43): It is a very sad day when we stand here and listen to the fabrications made by the honourable member in his brief explanation. I reject the premises, I reject the brief explanation, I reject also the incorrect information that he has read into the record. My department and my staff work very closely with Anangu on the APY lands. They seek to work in partnership with the community and they will continue to do so, respecting those members of the community.