Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee, , 3:55:07 to 3:57:54
Minister McCarthy acknowledges traditional owners and addresses concerns regarding respectful behavior in Parliament and the impact of domestic violence on First Nations families.
Topics: First Nations, Workplace culture, Family and domestic violence
Speakers: Hon Malarndirri McCarthy, Senator Karen Grogan
to welcome uh the honorable uh Minister McCarthy um and uh Miss Julian Guvara and the uh other officers of the National Indigenous Australians Agency. Uh Minister, would you care to make an opening statement?
>> Uh thank you uh Senator Green. I certainly would like to acknowledge that we come together on the lands of the non-olingry peoples and pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging and put my words on the record in in terms of Dr. Haynes. Uh, you know, we are certainly uh deeply saddened and troubled by what we've seen occur recently and sending her our love and best wishes to her and her family, but also recognizing the work that she's done and continues when she comes out hopefully to continue to work with uh First Nations people and families uh to improve the lives uh of our people across the country. She's been a very um committed person to closing the gap with our uh committees and trying to assist and in her numerous uh correspondents and discussions with me over the years. I'd also like to put on the record uh Senator Green uh just what has happened [clears throat] to to us as a parliament as well. I'm very conscious that we uh deal with family and domestic violence right across this country, especially with First Nations families. Uh but with all people who are experiencing any kind of hurt, it does have an ability to see something like this uh bring back trauma of all sorts. And I want to put on the record here that the behavior in the parliament, in particular the Senate, uh needs to be uh looked into even more. I too have concerns when I see senators turning their back on the acknowledgement to country every morning. and I put my voice on the record uh in support of Senator Thorpe uh with what's going on uh with Senator Hanson in terms of uh the satirical uh cartoons supposedly funny. uh I've learned of that today and I find it absolutely reprehensible uh that that continues and I would certainly ask uh for consideration to be given to what's going on there too and I I want to say to Senator Thorpe that I don't agree uh with that and I find it absolutely
>> Thank you Minister McCarthy. Um I think those in the room would echo your we will start with Senator Little >> and we'll go in 10-minute blocks.