Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 6 Hansard (19 June) . . Page.. 1848 ..

MR MOORE (4.11): I rise to support the motion. You would be aware, Mr Speaker, that at question time I asked you for some details about this motion. I am delighted that we can get past that stage and move on to the issue at hand. I am very pleased to support the motion. Mr Speaker, when you extend the invitation to various people to appear before the Bar of the Assembly, I hope that in sending the Hansard of the speeches on the Bringing them home motion you also include comments that were made later in the day in the adjournment debate by me and Mrs Littlewood. I was not able to be in the Assembly at the time it debated the motion; but, of course, I am particularly supportive of that motion.

It is particularly appropriate that the first people to appear at the Bar of the Assembly should be the indigenous peoples from the district. The symbolism of that is very positive. It extends the kind of feeling that was presented in the motion that was carried the other day. It is interesting that the Assembly Standing Committee on Administration and Procedure has considered the matter of calling people before the Bar and giving them that opportunity to speak, as a regular occurrence. The majority of members of the Assembly have rejected that concept. However, what is being done here is quite different. We are saying that there is a particular case of such great importance, not only territorial importance but national importance, that it is appropriate for us to call somebody to the Bar.

A similar situation occurred in Victoria for the first time in some 50 years when Professor Penington was called to address a joint sitting of the Victorian Parliament. It should be an unusual thing and seen as a particularly special exercise. Indeed, that is what it will be. It will also give us the opportunity to see why that piece of wood sits over there on the side of the Assembly. We will be able to see whether it actually works. I think it is a very positive idea. As I mentioned just after lunch in question time, it is a positive idea which I support. I am pleased it is being done in the appropriate way.

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General) (4.14): Mr Speaker, I rise to support the motion which Mr Osborne has placed before the Assembly. I think it is appropriate to bring those people before the Assembly to let them respond to an issue which obviously affects them fairly intimately. It can be very easy for politicians, governments and so on to deal with those issues in a way which does not fully pick up and recognise the sensitivity and concerns of those whom the motion actually deals with, that is, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of this community. I think it would be appropriate. It would be a very salient experience for this Assembly to have those people come before the Bar of the chamber and indicate directly to us their reaction to the steps that we have taken or are proposing to take, and in that manner to obtain an impression of the reaction that they have had and a feeling for the way in which they feel or do not feel, as the case may be, that we are addressing their problems. That is an important and appropriate first step.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .