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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-06-01 Daily Xml
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First Nations Voice To Parliament

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (14:23): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before addressing a question to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs regarding the First Nations Federal Voice.

Leave granted.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: On 31 May 2023, we have been advised by staff that the Commissioner for First Nations Voice in South Australia, Mr Dale Agius, has been visiting workplaces to deliver a keynote promoting the national yes vote in the upcoming referendum. My questions to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs are:

1. Can the minister explain why the commissioner is not focused on South Australian work?

2. How is this part of the commissioner's scope of work?

3. How is this allocation of resources appropriate?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:24): I thank the honourable member for her question. What I do know is our First Nations commissioner is extraordinarily focused on our State Voice. I've got to say, I know the opposition might think it's funny and clever—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: —to besmirch a very well-respected Aboriginal leader in South Australia—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: —but we don't. We don't think that.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: No, it's not even time for a supplementary question. We haven't heard—

An honourable member interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! We haven't heard the answer in its fullness. However, I would like to be able to actually hear what the Attorney-General is saying, so please listen in silence. If you've got a further line of questioning, by all means, but I want to hear the answer.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I want to take this opportunity to thank and pay tribute to our Commissioner for First Nations Voice and the team. They did extraordinary work over the course of last year, and probably a bit more. I think it was the most extensive and thorough consultation that has ever been undertaken with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander South Australians: two rounds of consultation that went from the APY lands to Mount Gambier, Port Augusta, Ceduna, Port Lincoln, Oodnadatta, Coober Pedy and many other places in between. The first round of consultation, that very sensitive consultation, went out and looked at what might be the building blocks or the foundations of a First Nations Voice in South Australia—what are the elements that the Aboriginal community wants to see in that?

Having submitted a report to government, we drafted some draft legislation and the commissioner and his team went out for a second round of consultation, again traversing the length and breadth of this state, going out with that draft legislation and asking, 'Well, this is how we've translated what we heard the first time into legislation. How did we do? Have a look.' As a result of that, there were changes made.

I've got to say, I am very proud to stand here today as the South Australian Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, having played a role in seeing the very first Aboriginal Voice to Parliament anywhere in this country, and I have extraordinary praise for the work that the commissioner has undertaken.

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