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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-04-09 Daily Xml
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First Nations Voice to Parliament

The Hon. S.L. GAME (15:30): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before directing a question to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs regarding the First Nations Voice.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.L. GAME: The first election of members to the South Australian First Nations Voice saw less than 9 per cent of the 30,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people eligible participate. Ninety-one per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders did not vote in the state's First Nations Voice elections that the Labor government told us was so desperately wanted. Twelve candidates were elected having polled fewer than 20 first preference votes. My questions to the Attorney-General are:

1. Does he agree that the low voter turnout is suggestive of a distrust of the government's First Nations Voice proposal and consultation failure?

2. Would he agree that the money spent campaigning and now establishing the First Nations Voice would be better spent on directly helping all those in need, regardless of race or background, and, if not, why not?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:31): I thank the honourable member for her question. In relation to her first question, my answer is no, not at all. In relation to her second question, no, I disagree; I think it will pay for itself many times over.

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