Ministers statements: National Reconciliation Week
Natalie HUTCHINS (Sydenham – Minister for Jobs and Industry, Minister for Treaty and First Peoples, Minister for Women) (14:09): It is National Reconciliation Week, and this year’s theme is ‘Now more than ever’, and doesn’t that theme matter. Across Victoria local communities, schools and footy clubs are hearing this call and taking action. They are learning more about Victoria’s 60,000 years of First Peoples culture and taking meaningful steps towards reconciliation. They are adopting Aboriginal languages as names for their schools and council wards and running Indigenous footy rounds, and how good was the AFL’s Indigenous round. Meanwhile, if it was not bad enough that those opposite are backflipping on treaty, the National Party state conference on the weekend called on all governments not to fund welcome to country ceremonies anymore. What a disgraceful mark of disrespect to Aboriginal people in this state. They are always playing politics with First Nations culture, and it is a disgrace. It is not reconciliation. Reconciliation is about every one of us strengthening our relationships for the good of all Victorians.
For all of us in this house, there are small steps that we can take towards reconciliation. We can listen to what the historic Yoorrook Justice Commission is saying about the truth and history of this state. We can support treaty. Contrary to what those opposite scaremonger about, treaty is not about taking people’s backyards, it is about a new relationship and a way forward with this state’s First Nations people and giving them power to make decisions over their own future, their kids’ education and family housing. Treaty is reconciliation. It is about shared histories, about coming together, about a better future for all Victorians.