Aboriginal Constitutional Recognition

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (14:50): Supplementary question arising out of the minister's answer: how many separate treaties is the Weatherill Labor government contemplating, or is prepared to consider, with separate Aboriginal nations in South Australia?

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) (14:50): I thank the honourable member for his question, and it is a good question. As I just said in my answer, we don't have a predetermined view of exactly how this might look. I have spoken to my Victorian counterpart, the Victorian Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, a number of times over the last couple of months. They are embarking on a similar treaty process of their own, looking at some sort of treaty or agreement with Aboriginal Victoria as a whole.

We are now starting the consultations to see what is the most applicable model for South Australia. Some have suggested treaties with individual nations, as I think I outlined in the answer. Certainly, in Victoria, the consensus they are moving down to—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: How many are there?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: It would be a very brave Aboriginal affairs minister to say exactly how many nations there are in South Australia. There are—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: Give us a ballpark figure.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: A ballpark figure would be a few dozen nations in total in South Australia—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: Twenty-seven?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Around 30, in the figure of two to four dozen nations in South Australia. But, as I have said, we will start consultations now with Aboriginal South Australians about the best model that we go down in South Australia, and exactly how that might work.