16 years have passed since one word changed this Nation – Sorry. Today is a day for all Australians to reflect and acknowledge the strength and resilience of Stolen Genetations survivors, their families and communities, and those who never made it home.
We’re building a better Ngurra, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Precinct, at the Acton Peninsula in Canberra. We’ll transform AIATSIS to include a National Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Centre. And we’ll deliver a National Resting Place to house and care for First Nations ancestral remains. So that Australians and international visitors have the opportunity to learn, experience and engage with over 65,000 years of culture, tradition and story.
Building a better Ngurra will ensure the world’s oldest living cultures can be celebrated by all. It will be an iconic National Cultural Institution that tells our story and history. Including a National Resting Place to house and care for First Nations ancestral remains. So that Australians and international visitors can learn, experience and engage with over 65,000 years of culture, tradition and story.
Today is Mabo Day – the anniversary of the historic Mabo High Court Decision. Eddie Mabo’s tireless activism for the Meriam people in the Torres Strait lead to the recognition of native title rights for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians across the country. He was a giant of the movement for First Nations land rights and his impact is felt to this day.
More than 250,000 people marched for reconciliation in 2000, 24 years ago this week. Marching across the Sydney Harbour Bridge was a remarkable feeling, and a beautiful show of what we can achieve when we come together. Were you lucky enough to walk with us that day?
A heartfelt day with Coota Girls survivors in Sydney today. Coota Girls Aboriginal Corporation is one of many organisations supporting survivors of the Stolen Generations. We are supporting Stolen Generations organisations by investing $3.5 million for healing.
While we’re taking $300 off your power bills on July 1, Peter Dutton now wants the most expensive form of energy there is and asks you to pay for it.
20 years ago, Michael Long walked 650km from Melbourne to Canberra. He put Indigneous rights and justice on the national agenda. It was energising to walk with Longy and thousands of others ahead of Dreamtime at the G in the Sir Doug Nichols Round.
20 years ago, Michael Long walked 650km from Melbourne to Canberra. He put Indigneous rights and justice on the national agenda. It was energising to walk with Longy and thousands of others ahead of Dreamtime at the G in the Sir Doug Nichols Round.
Uluru comes alive in our current passport when you shine a UV light on it, how cool is that! I especially love how the stitching through the middle turns red, yellow and black. What do you love about this design?
Dino and Darren from Black As stopped by to have a yarn today. They make some incredible videos showcasing life in remote Arnhem Land. It’s fantastic to see Aboriginal culture celebrated and enjoyed by so many around the world because of their work. Keep it up!
The Albanese Government is lowering household power bills and boosting reliability in the electricity grid with the roll out of more than 420 community batteries across the country.
This week is National Reconciliation Week, and it’s a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements. Let’s walk forward together towards achieving reconciliation in Australia.
Vale Dr Gondarra.
Meet Charmaine! She’s has a job that pays her properly because of the work our Government is doing to create real jobs with proper wages in remote communities. We’ve been running a program to trial new approaches to creating real jobs in remote communities. That program helped create the Kowanyama Women’s Hub, where Charmaine learned valuable skills before becoming the Hub supervisor last year. She now leads a local retail store that sells handmade products that women in the Hub create. It means she gets a proper wage, a job that suits her skills as a community leader, and there are opportunities for others in Kowanyama. The Liberals’ failed Community Development Program didn’t deliver for remote communities. But we’re replacing it with a program that works, with the next step being our remote jobs and economic development program that will create 3,000 jobs. There’s more to do to deliver economic opportunity in remote communities, but we’re working hard to deliver a better future for Indigenous Australians.
Meet Charmaine! She’s has a job that pays her properly because of the work our Government is doing to create real jobs with proper wages in remote communities. We’ve been running a program to trial new approaches to creating real jobs in remote communities. That program helped create the Kowanyama Women’s Hub, where Charmaine learned valuable skills before becoming the Hub supervisor last year. She now leads a local retail store that sells handmade products that women in the Hub create. It means she gets a proper wage, a job that suits her skills as a community leader, and there are opportunities for others in Kowanyama. The Liberals’ failed Community Development Program didn’t deliver for remote communities. But we’re replacing it with a program that works, with the next step being our remote jobs and economic development program that will create 3,000 jobs. There’s more to do to deliver economic opportunity in remote communities, but we’re working hard to deliver a better future for Indigenous Australians.
It’s been a big eight years since I was elected to represent our diverse community of Barton. Together we’ve achieved so much, like upgrading our local sports facilities at Bexley Oval and Illiden Sports Centre, supporting local community groups to deliver important programs, and investing in schools across our community. Our Government has been working hard to deliver responsible cost of living relief, including tax cuts and a $300 energy bill rebate. Let’s keep working together to make our community the best place in Australia to live.
Reconciliation is about communities coming together. In Queanbeyan this morning, hundreds of schoolkids and community members came together for the 2024 Reconciliation walk. They came together to show respect, to learn, and to continue the long walk towards reconciliation. Thank you to everyone who came out, and to Billy Tompkins and the Karabar High School Dance Group for their lovely welcome too.
Shopfront are one of the largest youth-led arts companies in NSW, and they’re right here in Carlton in our community of Barton. This month they received a $200,000 grant from the Information Linkages and Capacity Building program for their new P(ART)ICIPATION project. I met with CEO Natalie Rose, and Philanthropy and Partnerships Director Cathy Nisbet to hear more about how the project will support young people with disability build their creative skills and put on full-length shows each year. Since 1976 the team at Shopfront have been working with young people from diverse backgrounds and experiences to engage in the performing arts, and I can’t wait to see where this new grant takes that work.
We’re delivering urgent repairs and maintenance to homes across Northern Territory homelands. Because we know that bad housing is a handbrake on closing the gap. Here’s Daraline, Teshaur and Susan in their repaired home in Ngangalala, with Trevor who helped make it happen.
Volunteers often go unacknowledged for all the work they do. Today I held a National Volunteer Week morning tea and awards ceremony for over 100 volunteers to celebrate their hard work. This year’s Volunteer Week theme is Something For Everyone, and these amazing people show there really is a volunteer role for everyone. It was special to also honour the late Michael Shiel, a volunteer at Gift of Bread who passed suddenly last month, and present an award to his mother Patricia. He died doing what he loved: working for those doing it tough. Thank you to Kogarah Storehouse Chair Russell Foxe, manager Lala and the team for hosting us. Since 1992 the Storehouse has been a hub for volunteers, so it was the perfect place to gather!
Volunteers often go unacknowledged for all the work they do. Today I held a National Volunteer Week morning tea and awards ceremony for over 100 volunteers to celebrate their hard work. This year’s Volunteer Week theme is Something For Everyone, and these amazing people show there really is a volunteer role for everyone. It was special to also honour the late Michael Shiel, a volunteer at Gift of Bread who passed suddenly last month, and present an award to his mother Patricia. He died doing what he loved: working for those doing it tough. Thank you to Kogarah Storehouse Chair Russell Foxe, manager Lala and the team for hosting us. Since 1992 the Storehouse has been a hub for volunteers, so it was the perfect place to gather!
We’re building houses to fix overcrowding in remote communities. Great news from the Top End where more families are moving in to new homes. We’ve made a landmark investment to build up to 270 a year for the next 10 years so we can halve overcrowding in remote NT communities.
Keeping young people engaged in school is one of the most important things we can do. In Cairns, our government funds the Aspire to be Deadly Project which uses hockey to empower young Indigenous women to become leaders, stay in school and prepare for life. Well done to all the young women who have completed their transition to high school program, and for the Cairns Hockey Association for delivering this important project.
