Voice to Parliament one-year anniversary: Warren Entsch, Bob Katter and Nita Green on Indigenous priorities
The Far North’s three elected parliamentarians reveal what efforts they’ve made in the space of Indigenous affairs, one year after the failed referendum.
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The Far North’s three elected parliamentarians reveal what efforts they’ve made in the space of Indigenous affairs, one year after the failed referendum.
Labor’s Cairns-based senator Nita Green, LNP’s Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch and Katter’s Australian Party Kennedy MP Bob Katter represent one the east coast’s highest concentration of First Australian communities.
Queensland returned a 68 per cent no vote, while in Leichhardt and Kennedy, 65 and 80 per cent of voters were against a Voice to Parliament.
NITA GREEN – QUEENSLAND SENATOR
How did you vote and why?
I campaigned for Yes and voted yes because listening to First Nations Australians is important.
Why do you think Australia voted no?
The Albanese Government delivered on our commitment to First Nations people to take the Voice to a referendum. The result was disappointing, but we accepted it. We acknowledge the pain that continues for many First Nations people, and we recognise their resilience.
What are the key issues for First Australians in your constituency?
My constituents want economic opportunity and services like health, housing, education and justice reinvestment.
What efforts have you made since the referendum to address these issues?
Ms Green, whose party is in government, listed similar outcomes to what the National Indigenous Australians Agency had previously provided the Cairns Post including: A new remote jobs program to Close the Gap in employment outcomes by creating an initial 3000 jobs in remote Australia, a $10bn milestone in Commonwealth contracts for Indigenous-owned businesses under the Indigenous Procurement Policy, a dedicated national commissioner and a First Nation’s international ambassador. Further, a justice reinvestment package, supporting communities to find local solutions to improve community safety and reduce incarceration rates fee-free TAFE, which has seen over 30,000 First Nations student enrolments, $18m for boarding schools to give remote First Nations students access to education, 500 First Nations Health Trainees, with 300 already in place, 30 Remote Dialysis Units to provide lifesaving care On-Country and progressing work to expand the Indigenous Rangers program, as part of our plan to double the number of rangers by the end of the decade.
BOB KATTER – KENNEDY MP
How did you vote and why?
I publicly announced I was voting yes, and later on I announced I was voting no. I started thinking about it – no I don’t like separatism.
Why do you think Australia voted no?
I do think, we’re all Australians and we don’t want separatism. There was a lot of guilt-shame politics (during the campaign) and people are sick and tired of being told they should be guilty.
What are the key issues for First Australians in your constituency?
It probably hasn’t been brought on by the constituents but – life expectancy in the (First Australian) community areas is 54. As a nation I don’t know how we can stand up in the public arena and justify that. They have no quarrying rights, no timber rights, no water rights, no pastoral leases, no freehold title and no economy. They’re not allowed to use the land they live on, so the life expectancy is 54.
What efforts have you made since the referendum to address these issues?
The land belongs to the people that live there. For decades I have made numerous representations to the state government to get just pastoral leases for people like Jason Ned (former Doomadgee Mayor). My attitude is the white fellas are never going to give you the land so we have scheduled a meeting at Doomadgee to establish our own land tribunal. So we’ll set up our own administration and allocate the land ourselves; you will walk away from the table with a freehold title. You had your chance Mr Whitefella government, you done nothing, now you’re gone.
WARREN ENTSCH – LEICHHARDT MP
How did you vote and why?
I voted against it, but I didn’t campaign one way or the other – people needed to make up their own minds. The reason I voted no was because talking to my Indigenous constituency, I had an overwhelming view they didn’t want it.
Why do you think Australia voted no?
Because I think the whole thing was a slick campaign that was organised by the metropolitan elite and it didn’t relate to the reality of what’s happening on the ground. And the reality is there was no capacity for the majority of people that are living in these communities to be part of the solution.
What are the key issues for First Australians in your constituency?
We have an appalling situation with the condition of education at the high schools in Bamaga and Thursday Island.
I’ve had a situation where I’ve got all Cape York communities raising serious concern about $4bn going into the Northern Territory for housing, yet we’ve got proposal for one-bedroom self-contained units for young, single, fully employed people. We’ve got people finishing school, maybe getting a shiftwork job and they can’t be rewarded and move out, instead they’re going back to some overcrowded family homes, and trying to sleep for shift work with a whole bunch of people living there. Or you might have someone who’s served their time at Lotus, they want to go back to the community, and they have no where to live individually, so any little habits they pick up at Club Lotus, goes back into the family home and cycle continues.
What efforts have you made since the referendum to address these issues?
I have met personally with the Prime Minister and with the relevant ministers, and crickets, not a word. I have written on three occasions to this government about the (one-bedroom) housing proposal, which isn’t coming from me, it’s coming from the community leaders and nothing.
Mr Entsch showed the Cairns Post one of the housing proposals submitted to him by Mapoon Aboriginal Shire Council in July for six one-bedroom units, at a total cost of $1.56m. In its letter the council said it had serviced land readily available and would be the “principle builder,” using a local trade force. Mr Entsch submitted the proposal to Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda McCarthy on August 20, and on September 27, wrote to her following up on a lack of response.
“It has now been five weeks since I first brought this proposal to your attention … it is clear to me that there is a great deal of eagerness to get started on this project,” part of his latter letter read.
A spokeswoman for the minister said Ms McCarthy met with Mr Entsch on August 20 and her office was arranging another time to meet with the Leichhardt MP to discuss the proposal.
“Housing and overcrowding are important issues and effective ideas to address these challenges are welcome,” the spokeswoman said.
“The Minister is always open to working constructively across the aisle to tackle long term challenges. The Minister always enjoys visiting Far North Queensland and is hoping to visit in the near future.”
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