The future is in our hands: Reconciliation direction 2001

These have been accompanied by parallel recognition of the distinct rights Indigenous peoples have in international law through the United Nations.

In Canada, there is acceptance of the Indigenous right of self government. The debate there is squarely focussed upon the character of self government and upon implementation.

Many Australians are totally unaware that the Inuit in Greenland exercise home-rule, that the Maori have reserved seats in New Zealand or that there are Sami parliaments in Finland, Norway and Sweden.

There is no doubt Constitutional issues in relation to these matters will take time. They will also require an informed nation.

Mr Howard is doing himself and the nation a massive disservice by seeking to milk the fear and ignorance in the community on these issues rather than helping us inform the nation about the true nature of reconciliation.

There is a second measure of true reconciliation that I want to canvas with you before finishing: Indigenous representation in parliament.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people now need to take further steps forward both in politics and in the wider community. We have the capacity, we have the strength, and we actually have a lot of experience and a great deal of skills. But we now need to have greater formal involvement in these processes.

More of us should now be looking to step out from behind the scenes and into the forefront. It is time there were more of us on local councils and in local government.

There are some encouraging signs that there are more Indigenous people – including some women - in these decision-making positions. But there is not one Indigenous person in the Queensland Parliament. In all the parliaments of this country, you can count the number of Indigenous people on one hand.

It remains a national shame that in the year 2000, despite 33 years since the 1967 referendum, that after 10 years of reconciliation there is only one Indigenous person in the national Parliament: Aden Ridgeway in the Senate. And he is only the second we have ever had there. None of us has ever been elected to the House of Representatives.

And you don't need any hands to count the number of Indigenous women in this county's Parliaments. There aren't any. It is now time there was.

One of the questions is how that should be done. Well, I have a suggestion that this government should seriously consider. My suggestion easily fits in with what the Prime Minister and others call "practical reconciliation."