Aboriginal Constitutional Recognition

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (14:45): Noting the Andrews government has entered into talks with First Nations people, will the Weatherill government be doing the same with South Australian First Nations people with regard to a treaty?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:45): I thank the honourable member for her question. We will always look to ways that we can have better and deeper engagement with Aboriginal South Australians. I think one of the ways we are leading the nation is with our Aboriginal Regional Authority Policy that sets up a framework for Aboriginal communities in geographical areas to be represented by a regional authority that can deal with government from one geographical area, almost on a leader-to-leader basis.

I know that already the Ngarrindjeri Regional Authority regularly has meetings with a number of ministers on a leader-to-leader basis: leaders of the Ngarrindjeri nation with the state government. I have noted it, and I will get more information about what Victoria is doing, but I think that, in directly negotiating and giving Aboriginal communities more of a say, I am pleased with the direction our regional authorities policy is going. But I certainly will inform myself more on what Victoria is doing.