Mr LANHUPUY - 1994-06-30
I refer the minister to the ABS data tabled earlier this morning and the very large gap that exists between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal average household incomes in the Northern Territory. Will the minister reverse his opposition to social justice in the light of these figures? Does he support the development of a social justice strategy for the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
One of the great difficulties in addressing the concept of social justice is that the world has been driven crazy by the perversion of ideal terminologies by left-wing and Labor politicians. This is a very good example of where differences occur. Nobody opposes the purest principles of social justice. Our problem has always been - and we see it continuously with the federal Labor government and in the kinds of proposals put forward at the last election - that this ALP branch's concept of social justice is in fact social engineering. If we want to talk about the purest ...
Mr Ede: What a load of garbage! Demonstrate that. Provide one example.
Mr HATTON: I am happy to provide a hundred examples.
Mr Ede: Just give us one.
A member: No sport in primary schools.
Mr HATTON: That is an interesting one - no sport in primary schools.
Mr Ede: There was nothing in our policies about no sport in primary schools.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
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Mr HATTON: I will not digress too far, but I am quite happy at any time to debate the Labor Party's approach to social engineering. It is the Labor Party's fundamental ideology which is why ...
Mr Ede: Access and equity!
Mr HATTON: ... we stood up to oppose the concepts that members opposite express. Nevertheless, nobody, including members on this side of the House, objects to the purest form of social justice.
In relation to the specific issue raised by the member for Arnhem about the significant difference in Aboriginal weekly household earnings, I refer him to plans that our party released in the recent election campaign. In particular, I refer him to such matters as cultural demystification programs which are being researched and developed currently to try to give Aboriginal communities a deeper and more appropriate understanding of the broader ...
Mr Ede: That sounds like social engineering to me.
Mr HATTON: No, it is not! The Leader of the Opposition will eat those words one day.
Mr Ede: Do you reckon!
Mr HATTON: Yes, you will.
Much of our great difficulties in the past, particularly in areas such as the member for Arnhem's electorate - and he is very much aware of this - were with how difficult and mystifying Aboriginal culture is to the European population. It is important that we involve our public service in appropriate cross-cultural education and provide opportunities for people in the broader community to better understand Aboriginal culture. Equally, we need to ensure that the mysteries of our constitutional and cultural foundations are better understood by Aboriginal people, particularly so that people in remote and traditional Aboriginal communities are in a better position to work with and relate to mainstream society.
Secondly, we have addressed quite extensively the matter of opening up the opportunities for jobs and business activity in remote Territory communities in order to provide employment opportunities for Aboriginal people. That will provide them with the opportunity to obtain jobs and thereby lift the average family income of people in those communities. If they have to rely on handouts and social security payments continuously, they will never overcome the discrepancy to which the member referred.
Our plan addressed particular issues. One was facilitating Aboriginal land owners, if they choose, to be able to bring their land into productive use. Another was attracting finance to business activity in and around their communities in order to create jobs so that not only are people trained but they have the opportunity to obtain a job and live in their homelands. Those are only 2 of the extensive range of areas that are in our plans.
On many occasions in this parliament, I have addressed the extraordinary shortage of housing. I will continue to fight to obtain additional funding to address the housing needs. In previous parliaments, I referred to a simple matter. If we want to provide adequate housing to Aboriginal people in a 10- to 15-year time frame, at least an extra $30m a year will be needed merely to obtain adequate housing. There is $67m-worth of specific purpose
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funding for Aboriginal housing in remote areas now, but it is not enough. No state or territory government has the financial resources to overcome this national problem. I am arguing extensively with the federal Minister for Housing and his government to provide additional specific purpose funding for this purpose. I must say that I have had very little success despite the fact that we have quantified the need totally in an outline to the minister. I expect the member for Arnhem's support for the bid I am making to that effect.
Mr Lanhupuy: I mentioned it the other day.
Mr HATTON: We are also proposing the development of training contracts so that Aboriginal people can obtain many of the jobs in the construction of housing in those communities. It is through jobs and economic self-sufficiency that we will overcome the economic disadvantage of Aboriginal people in remote areas. Those are some of the ways in which we are doing that. Others are addressed in our Aboriginal plan.
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ANSWER
One of the great difficulties in addressing the concept of social justice is that the world has been driven crazy by the perversion of ideal terminologies by left-wing and Labor politicians. This is a very good example of where differences occur. Nobody opposes the purest principles of social justice. Our problem has always been - and we see it continuously with the federal Labor government and in the kinds of proposals put forward at the last election - that this ALP branch's concept of social justice is in fact social engineering. If we want to talk about the purest ...
Mr Ede: What a load of garbage! Demonstrate that. Provide one example.
Mr HATTON: I am happy to provide a hundred examples.
Mr Ede: Just give us one.
A member: No sport in primary schools.
Mr HATTON: That is an interesting one - no sport in primary schools.
Mr Ede: There was nothing in our policies about no sport in primary schools.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
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Mr HATTON: I will not digress too far, but I am quite happy at any time to debate the Labor Party's approach to social engineering. It is the Labor Party's fundamental ideology which is why ...
Mr Ede: Access and equity!
Mr HATTON: ... we stood up to oppose the concepts that members opposite express. Nevertheless, nobody, including members on this side of the House, objects to the purest form of social justice.
In relation to the specific issue raised by the member for Arnhem about the significant difference in Aboriginal weekly household earnings, I refer him to plans that our party released in the recent election campaign. In particular, I refer him to such matters as cultural demystification programs which are being researched and developed currently to try to give Aboriginal communities a deeper and more appropriate understanding of the broader ...
Mr Ede: That sounds like social engineering to me.
Mr HATTON: No, it is not! The Leader of the Opposition will eat those words one day.
Mr Ede: Do you reckon!
Mr HATTON: Yes, you will.
Much of our great difficulties in the past, particularly in areas such as the member for Arnhem's electorate - and he is very much aware of this - were with how difficult and mystifying Aboriginal culture is to the European population. It is important that we involve our public service in appropriate cross-cultural education and provide opportunities for people in the broader community to better understand Aboriginal culture. Equally, we need to ensure that the mysteries of our constitutional and cultural foundations are better understood by Aboriginal people, particularly so that people in remote and traditional Aboriginal communities are in a better position to work with and relate to mainstream society.
Secondly, we have addressed quite extensively the matter of opening up the opportunities for jobs and business activity in remote Territory communities in order to provide employment opportunities for Aboriginal people. That will provide them with the opportunity to obtain jobs and thereby lift the average family income of people in those communities. If they have to rely on handouts and social security payments continuously, they will never overcome the discrepancy to which the member referred.
Our plan addressed particular issues. One was facilitating Aboriginal land owners, if they choose, to be able to bring their land into productive use. Another was attracting finance to business activity in and around their communities in order to create jobs so that not only are people trained but they have the opportunity to obtain a job and live in their homelands. Those are only 2 of the extensive range of areas that are in our plans.
On many occasions in this parliament, I have addressed the extraordinary shortage of housing. I will continue to fight to obtain additional funding to address the housing needs. In previous parliaments, I referred to a simple matter. If we want to provide adequate housing to Aboriginal people in a 10- to 15-year time frame, at least an extra $30m a year will be needed merely to obtain adequate housing. There is $67m-worth of specific purpose
Page 33
funding for Aboriginal housing in remote areas now, but it is not enough. No state or territory government has the financial resources to overcome this national problem. I am arguing extensively with the federal Minister for Housing and his government to provide additional specific purpose funding for this purpose. I must say that I have had very little success despite the fact that we have quantified the need totally in an outline to the minister. I expect the member for Arnhem's support for the bid I am making to that effect.
Mr Lanhupuy: I mentioned it the other day.
Mr HATTON: We are also proposing the development of training contracts so that Aboriginal people can obtain many of the jobs in the construction of housing in those communities. It is through jobs and economic self-sufficiency that we will overcome the economic disadvantage of Aboriginal people in remote areas. Those are some of the ways in which we are doing that. Others are addressed in our Aboriginal plan.
Page 34
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016