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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 13 Hansard (4 December) . . Page.. 4604 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

I would like to conclude by quoting from a recent address from the Governor-General, Sir William Deane:

Those of us - both indigenous and non-indigenous - who are now joined together in a crusade for true national reconciliation all know that we will not succeed until our nation has properly addressed and made significant progress towards resolving the current plight of the Aboriginal peoples in relation to practical things such as health, education, employment and living conditions. And how could it be otherwise in a context where the gap between the average life expectancy of an Aborigine and that of a non-Aborigine is almost 20 years and actually widening and where Aborigines are dying from particular diseases at rates up to 12 times or more those of non-Aborigines? Clearly, we will not achieve reconciliation until we reach the stage where it can be seen that we are at least approaching the position where the life expectancy and future prospects of an Aboriginal baby are in the same realm of discourse as those of a non-Aboriginal one.

But, equally clearly, we have no real prospect of reaching that stage until we also effectively address the terrible problems of the spirit as well as those of the body - the present effects on the spirit and on the self-esteem of Australia's indigenous peoples of all that has happened, all that has been taken and all that has been destroyed during the 2 centuries and more that have passed since the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788.

The gesture of flying the flags of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this chamber on a permanent basis is a recognition that indeed we do respect and acknowledge what has happened to the spirit of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people here. By flying this flag, we are acknowledging and respecting their culture, and hopefully this will work in some way towards healing the damage that has been done and towards making a continuous visual statement of our commitment as a chamber to reconciliation.

MR CORBELL (4.28): Mr Speaker, the Labor Party will be supporting this motion moved by Ms Tucker today. We think it is an entirely appropriate course of action that in this Assembly, having been through the process this year of hearing the addresses by representatives of Canberra's indigenous community and having formally apologised through a resolution of this place, we continue to indicate this chamber's support for the process of reconciliation through the placement of the Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islander flag in this chamber. Symbols are very important. They send a signal. They signal an intent on behalf of a person or an organisation. Placing the flags of Australia's indigenous peoples, the original occupants of this country, in this chamber sends a signal that this place is supportive of their cause and of their need for continuing help and continuing engagement in the process of reconciliation.

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