Mr AH KIT - 1998-10-13
How many times has the minister, or any ministers, met with chairpersons of major Aboriginal organisations given the debate surrounding statehood and the 1000-page Reeves review? Has the minister met with Aboriginal leaders or interest groups to seek and negotiate mutual outcomes that will advance the economic and social development of the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to get a question from the shadow spokesman over there, I was thinking there was a reshuffle going on over there for a while. The member asks how many times I have met with Territory Aboriginal leaders about economic opportunities. I can say I have spent all of my Parliamentary career talking to Aboriginal Territorians, not only around my own electorate but all around the Territory.
I am not sure whether the member for Arnhem excludes other prominent Aboriginal Territorians apart from Galarrwuy Yunupingu and the likes of Norm Fry and Bruce Tilmouth, but there are certainly many Aboriginal leaders and elders around the Territory. I could reel off a whole list. At the Hamilton Downs meeting that the member for Stuart was not invited to I met with traditional elders and leaders from the Centralian region. Four times a year I meet with an advisory group …
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BALDWIN: Four times a year I meet with an advisory group made up of what I consider to be Aboriginal leaders and senior elder people from around the Territory. This group advises the government, through me, on economic issues concerning Aboriginal Territorians and the barriers that are out there for Aboriginal Territorians and what we might do, as a government, to improve the situation for greater economic and enterprise development.
I can say, without a word of doubt, that I have spent a lot of time meeting with Aboriginal Territorians, Aboriginal elders and Aboriginal leaders. I do it not only throughout my own electorate, but I will say that ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BALDWIN: I will say, if I am allowed to, that the opportunities that I have had to meet with Aboriginal Territorians, given that I do live in my electorate and I move around the Territory far more than the member for Arnhem, are greater because he lives in Casuarina and he sleeps in his office in Casuarina, which is nowhere near his electorate. He should be asking himself the same question.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to get a question from the shadow spokesman over there, I was thinking there was a reshuffle going on over there for a while. The member asks how many times I have met with Territory Aboriginal leaders about economic opportunities. I can say I have spent all of my Parliamentary career talking to Aboriginal Territorians, not only around my own electorate but all around the Territory.
I am not sure whether the member for Arnhem excludes other prominent Aboriginal Territorians apart from Galarrwuy Yunupingu and the likes of Norm Fry and Bruce Tilmouth, but there are certainly many Aboriginal leaders and elders around the Territory. I could reel off a whole list. At the Hamilton Downs meeting that the member for Stuart was not invited to I met with traditional elders and leaders from the Centralian region. Four times a year I meet with an advisory group …
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BALDWIN: Four times a year I meet with an advisory group made up of what I consider to be Aboriginal leaders and senior elder people from around the Territory. This group advises the government, through me, on economic issues concerning Aboriginal Territorians and the barriers that are out there for Aboriginal Territorians and what we might do, as a government, to improve the situation for greater economic and enterprise development.
I can say, without a word of doubt, that I have spent a lot of time meeting with Aboriginal Territorians, Aboriginal elders and Aboriginal leaders. I do it not only throughout my own electorate, but I will say that ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BALDWIN: I will say, if I am allowed to, that the opportunities that I have had to meet with Aboriginal Territorians, given that I do live in my electorate and I move around the Territory far more than the member for Arnhem, are greater because he lives in Casuarina and he sleeps in his office in Casuarina, which is nowhere near his electorate. He should be asking himself the same question.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016