❓ A parliamentary question criticises the Premier's past performance regarding Aboriginal affairs, particularly education and departmental management, prompting a defensive response highlighting improved Indigenous outcomes and accusing the questioner of past failures.
AnsweredQoN 3Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS — RESPONSIBILITY FOR FAILURES
I refer to Coroner Hope’s report into Aboriginal deaths in the Kimberley in which he was scathing of the government’s performance, and of the Department of Indigenous Affairs’ performance in particular, and in which he describes the level of education among Aboriginal students in the Kimberley as pathetically low. (1) Does the Premier recall, as Minister for Education and Training, his failed Aboriginal employment and career action plan that he launched in 2002? (2) Does he also recall, as Minister for Indigenous Affairs, his first action of emasculating his department by closing local offices in the Kimberley, particularly in Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek? (3) Will he now, as Premier and a member of this government for the past seven years, accept full and personal responsibility for the devastating failures outlined in the coroner’s report? Mr A.J. CARPENTER
I refer to Coroner Hope’s report into Aboriginal deaths in the Kimberley in which he was scathing of the government’s performance, and of the Department of Indigenous Affairs’ performance in particular, and in which he describes the level of education among Aboriginal students in the Kimberley as pathetically low. (1) Does the Premier recall, as Minister for Education and Training, his failed Aboriginal employment and career action plan that he launched in 2002? (2) Does he also recall, as Minister for Indigenous Affairs, his first action of emasculating his department by closing local offices in the Kimberley, particularly in Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek? (3) Will he now, as Premier and a member of this government for the past seven years, accept full and personal responsibility for the devastating failures outlined in the coroner’s report? Mr A.J. CARPENTER
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the opportunity. (1)-(3) The retention of Indigenous year 11 students over the four-year period in Western Australia to the end of 2006 was 75 per cent, which was up from 54 per cent over the previous four-year period. There has been a 300 per cent increase in the number of Indigenous people in apprenticeships and traineeships; in fact, there were 1 800 in 2007. The number of Aboriginal teachers has nearly doubled since 2001 to 150 this year. A further 28 are expected to be employed from the Aboriginal and islander education office Bachelor of Education conversion course by the end of the year. Dr K.D. Hames : Are you saying that Coroner Hope got it wrong? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What I am prepared to say is that the member has not stood in Parliament and admitted that he was a failure as an Indigenous affairs minister. Dr K.D. Hames : I have. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : And so he should have. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
(1) Does the Premier recall, as Minister for Education and Training, his failed Aboriginal employment and career action plan that he launched in 2002? (2) Does he also recall, as Minister for Indigenous Affairs, his first action of emasculating his department by closing local offices in the Kimberley, particularly in Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek? (3) Will he now, as Premier and a member of this government for the past seven years, accept full and personal responsibility for the devastating failures outlined in the coroner’s report? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the opportunity. (1)-(3) The retention of Indigenous year 11 students over the four-year period in Western Australia to the end of 2006 was 75 per cent, which was up from 54 per cent over the previous four-year period. There has been a 300 per cent increase in the number of Indigenous people in apprenticeships and traineeships; in fact, there were 1 800 in 2007. The number of Aboriginal teachers has nearly doubled since 2001 to 150 this year. A further 28 are expected to be employed from the Aboriginal and islander education office Bachelor of Education conversion course by the end of the year. Dr K.D. Hames : Are you saying that Coroner Hope got it wrong? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What I am prepared to say is that the member has not stood in Parliament and admitted that he was a failure as an Indigenous affairs minister. Dr K.D. Hames : I have. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : And so he should have. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
(2) Does he also recall, as Minister for Indigenous Affairs, his first action of emasculating his department by closing local offices in the Kimberley, particularly in Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek? (3) Will he now, as Premier and a member of this government for the past seven years, accept full and personal responsibility for the devastating failures outlined in the coroner’s report? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the opportunity. (1)-(3) The retention of Indigenous year 11 students over the four-year period in Western Australia to the end of 2006 was 75 per cent, which was up from 54 per cent over the previous four-year period. There has been a 300 per cent increase in the number of Indigenous people in apprenticeships and traineeships; in fact, there were 1 800 in 2007. The number of Aboriginal teachers has nearly doubled since 2001 to 150 this year. A further 28 are expected to be employed from the Aboriginal and islander education office Bachelor of Education conversion course by the end of the year. Dr K.D. Hames : Are you saying that Coroner Hope got it wrong? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What I am prepared to say is that the member has not stood in Parliament and admitted that he was a failure as an Indigenous affairs minister. Dr K.D. Hames : I have. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : And so he should have. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
(3) Will he now, as Premier and a member of this government for the past seven years, accept full and personal responsibility for the devastating failures outlined in the coroner’s report? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the opportunity. (1)-(3) The retention of Indigenous year 11 students over the four-year period in Western Australia to the end of 2006 was 75 per cent, which was up from 54 per cent over the previous four-year period. There has been a 300 per cent increase in the number of Indigenous people in apprenticeships and traineeships; in fact, there were 1 800 in 2007. The number of Aboriginal teachers has nearly doubled since 2001 to 150 this year. A further 28 are expected to be employed from the Aboriginal and islander education office Bachelor of Education conversion course by the end of the year. Dr K.D. Hames : Are you saying that Coroner Hope got it wrong? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What I am prepared to say is that the member has not stood in Parliament and admitted that he was a failure as an Indigenous affairs minister. Dr K.D. Hames : I have. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : And so he should have. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the opportunity. (1)-(3) The retention of Indigenous year 11 students over the four-year period in Western Australia to the end of 2006 was 75 per cent, which was up from 54 per cent over the previous four-year period. There has been a 300 per cent increase in the number of Indigenous people in apprenticeships and traineeships; in fact, there were 1 800 in 2007. The number of Aboriginal teachers has nearly doubled since 2001 to 150 this year. A further 28 are expected to be employed from the Aboriginal and islander education office Bachelor of Education conversion course by the end of the year. Dr K.D. Hames : Are you saying that Coroner Hope got it wrong? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What I am prepared to say is that the member has not stood in Parliament and admitted that he was a failure as an Indigenous affairs minister. Dr K.D. Hames : I have. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : And so he should have. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
I thank the member for the opportunity. (1)-(3) The retention of Indigenous year 11 students over the four-year period in Western Australia to the end of 2006 was 75 per cent, which was up from 54 per cent over the previous four-year period. There has been a 300 per cent increase in the number of Indigenous people in apprenticeships and traineeships; in fact, there were 1 800 in 2007. The number of Aboriginal teachers has nearly doubled since 2001 to 150 this year. A further 28 are expected to be employed from the Aboriginal and islander education office Bachelor of Education conversion course by the end of the year. Dr K.D. Hames : Are you saying that Coroner Hope got it wrong? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What I am prepared to say is that the member has not stood in Parliament and admitted that he was a failure as an Indigenous affairs minister. Dr K.D. Hames : I have. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : And so he should have. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
(1)-(3) The retention of Indigenous year 11 students over the four-year period in Western Australia to the end of 2006 was 75 per cent, which was up from 54 per cent over the previous four-year period. There has been a 300 per cent increase in the number of Indigenous people in apprenticeships and traineeships; in fact, there were 1 800 in 2007. The number of Aboriginal teachers has nearly doubled since 2001 to 150 this year. A further 28 are expected to be employed from the Aboriginal and islander education office Bachelor of Education conversion course by the end of the year. Dr K.D. Hames : Are you saying that Coroner Hope got it wrong? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What I am prepared to say is that the member has not stood in Parliament and admitted that he was a failure as an Indigenous affairs minister. Dr K.D. Hames : I have. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : And so he should have. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Dr K.D. Hames : Are you saying that Coroner Hope got it wrong? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What I am prepared to say is that the member has not stood in Parliament and admitted that he was a failure as an Indigenous affairs minister. Dr K.D. Hames : I have. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : And so he should have. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What I am prepared to say is that the member has not stood in Parliament and admitted that he was a failure as an Indigenous affairs minister. Dr K.D. Hames : I have. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : And so he should have. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Dr K.D. Hames : I have. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : And so he should have. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : And so he should have. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
(1) Does the Premier recall, as Minister for Education and Training, his failed Aboriginal employment and career action plan that he launched in 2002? (2) Does he also recall, as Minister for Indigenous Affairs, his first action of emasculating his department by closing local offices in the Kimberley, particularly in Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek? (3) Will he now, as Premier and a member of this government for the past seven years, accept full and personal responsibility for the devastating failures outlined in the coroner’s report? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the opportunity. (1)-(3) The retention of Indigenous year 11 students over the four-year period in Western Australia to the end of 2006 was 75 per cent, which was up from 54 per cent over the previous four-year period. There has been a 300 per cent increase in the number of Indigenous people in apprenticeships and traineeships; in fact, there were 1 800 in 2007. The number of Aboriginal teachers has nearly doubled since 2001 to 150 this year. A further 28 are expected to be employed from the Aboriginal and islander education office Bachelor of Education conversion course by the end of the year. Dr K.D. Hames : Are you saying that Coroner Hope got it wrong? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What I am prepared to say is that the member has not stood in Parliament and admitted that he was a failure as an Indigenous affairs minister. Dr K.D. Hames : I have. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : And so he should have. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
(2) Does he also recall, as Minister for Indigenous Affairs, his first action of emasculating his department by closing local offices in the Kimberley, particularly in Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek? (3) Will he now, as Premier and a member of this government for the past seven years, accept full and personal responsibility for the devastating failures outlined in the coroner’s report? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the opportunity. (1)-(3) The retention of Indigenous year 11 students over the four-year period in Western Australia to the end of 2006 was 75 per cent, which was up from 54 per cent over the previous four-year period. There has been a 300 per cent increase in the number of Indigenous people in apprenticeships and traineeships; in fact, there were 1 800 in 2007. The number of Aboriginal teachers has nearly doubled since 2001 to 150 this year. A further 28 are expected to be employed from the Aboriginal and islander education office Bachelor of Education conversion course by the end of the year. Dr K.D. Hames : Are you saying that Coroner Hope got it wrong? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What I am prepared to say is that the member has not stood in Parliament and admitted that he was a failure as an Indigenous affairs minister. Dr K.D. Hames : I have. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : And so he should have. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
(3) Will he now, as Premier and a member of this government for the past seven years, accept full and personal responsibility for the devastating failures outlined in the coroner’s report? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the opportunity. (1)-(3) The retention of Indigenous year 11 students over the four-year period in Western Australia to the end of 2006 was 75 per cent, which was up from 54 per cent over the previous four-year period. There has been a 300 per cent increase in the number of Indigenous people in apprenticeships and traineeships; in fact, there were 1 800 in 2007. The number of Aboriginal teachers has nearly doubled since 2001 to 150 this year. A further 28 are expected to be employed from the Aboriginal and islander education office Bachelor of Education conversion course by the end of the year. Dr K.D. Hames : Are you saying that Coroner Hope got it wrong? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What I am prepared to say is that the member has not stood in Parliament and admitted that he was a failure as an Indigenous affairs minister. Dr K.D. Hames : I have. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : And so he should have. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the opportunity. (1)-(3) The retention of Indigenous year 11 students over the four-year period in Western Australia to the end of 2006 was 75 per cent, which was up from 54 per cent over the previous four-year period. There has been a 300 per cent increase in the number of Indigenous people in apprenticeships and traineeships; in fact, there were 1 800 in 2007. The number of Aboriginal teachers has nearly doubled since 2001 to 150 this year. A further 28 are expected to be employed from the Aboriginal and islander education office Bachelor of Education conversion course by the end of the year. Dr K.D. Hames : Are you saying that Coroner Hope got it wrong? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What I am prepared to say is that the member has not stood in Parliament and admitted that he was a failure as an Indigenous affairs minister. Dr K.D. Hames : I have. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : And so he should have. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
I thank the member for the opportunity. (1)-(3) The retention of Indigenous year 11 students over the four-year period in Western Australia to the end of 2006 was 75 per cent, which was up from 54 per cent over the previous four-year period. There has been a 300 per cent increase in the number of Indigenous people in apprenticeships and traineeships; in fact, there were 1 800 in 2007. The number of Aboriginal teachers has nearly doubled since 2001 to 150 this year. A further 28 are expected to be employed from the Aboriginal and islander education office Bachelor of Education conversion course by the end of the year. Dr K.D. Hames : Are you saying that Coroner Hope got it wrong? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What I am prepared to say is that the member has not stood in Parliament and admitted that he was a failure as an Indigenous affairs minister. Dr K.D. Hames : I have. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : And so he should have. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
(1)-(3) The retention of Indigenous year 11 students over the four-year period in Western Australia to the end of 2006 was 75 per cent, which was up from 54 per cent over the previous four-year period. There has been a 300 per cent increase in the number of Indigenous people in apprenticeships and traineeships; in fact, there were 1 800 in 2007. The number of Aboriginal teachers has nearly doubled since 2001 to 150 this year. A further 28 are expected to be employed from the Aboriginal and islander education office Bachelor of Education conversion course by the end of the year. Dr K.D. Hames : Are you saying that Coroner Hope got it wrong? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What I am prepared to say is that the member has not stood in Parliament and admitted that he was a failure as an Indigenous affairs minister. Dr K.D. Hames : I have. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : And so he should have. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Dr K.D. Hames : Are you saying that Coroner Hope got it wrong? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What I am prepared to say is that the member has not stood in Parliament and admitted that he was a failure as an Indigenous affairs minister. Dr K.D. Hames : I have. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : And so he should have. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What I am prepared to say is that the member has not stood in Parliament and admitted that he was a failure as an Indigenous affairs minister. Dr K.D. Hames : I have. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : And so he should have. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Dr K.D. Hames : I have. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : And so he should have. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : And so he should have. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : What he did was sanctify Robert Bropho. Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Dr K.D. Hames : What a load of rubbish! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : Yes, he did. He created a safe haven for a paedophile. Withdrawal of Remark Mr C.J. BARNETT : It is clearly unparliamentary to suggest that a member of Parliament provided a safe haven for a paedophile. Paedophilia is a criminal and heinous crime. That was an offensive comment by the Premier. The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
The SPEAKER : I do not know whether the Premier identified a person in that allegation. If the Premier directed it at an individual, it is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it. If not, it is a debating point. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : To the extent that it was directed at the member individually, I withdraw it. It was directed at the government that he was a member of. That is exactly what he did. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr A.J. CARPENTER : In relation to the coroner’s inquiry — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : These are voices from the failed past. In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
In relation to the coroner’s inquiry, yes, we have huge issues, not just in the Kimberley but all over Western Australia. We have huge issues in closing the gap of disadvantage and alienation suffered by Aboriginal communities, families and individuals in this state. We have huge challenges. We have to rise every day to meet those challenges. Some days we have more success than other days. Some efforts do not work as well as we would like. Sometimes things have to be rejected because they have not worked. What is old is new again sometimes. It appears to me that we are now considering banning Aboriginal people from drinking alcohol. Is anyone in this Parliament going to stand up and demand, broadly, a complete ban on the sale of all takeaway alcohol in every centre in Western Australia? Are we going to advocate the banning of takeaway liquor in every single centre in Western Australia where Aboriginal people might be affected by liquor? The matter is complex and difficult, and we need to find a way forward through all that complexity and difficulty, and we are endeavouring to do that. We have put in place alcohol restrictions at Fitzroy Crossing. I agree entirely with the State Coroner about the need for leadership. It was for that reason, members opposite may recall, that last year I announced that we would not scrap the Department of Indigenous Affairs but try to give it a more central and powerful role in government under the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the member for Midland. That is why yesterday — Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Dr K.D. Hames interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
The SPEAKER : Order! Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I have given Mr Sanderson a specific task. Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
Yesterday I made a slight variation in the portfolio arrangements by transferring the employment protection portfolio to Hon Jon Ford in the upper house so that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Housing and Works would have more capacity to focus on what is a huge issue for this state. I have optimism; I do not share the pessimism. In fact, I contest the pessimistic attitude. To those with a pessimistic attitude, I say that they are doing no-one any good. I have an optimistic attitude. I have faith in the capacity of Aboriginal people to meet the challenges they are facing, with, now, thankfully, the cooperative partnership between the state government and the federal government. Following the coroner’s findings, my office was today in contact with the office of the federal minister, Jenny Macklin. There is great opportunity now for the federal and state governments to work cooperatively with Indigenous people in all their different locations in Western Australia, and with all their different, manifest issues to find what solutions work in those communities and how we can best go about improving the quality of life of those communities. The State Coroner has performed a valuable service for us. From that body of work I hope we can find a way forward. We were moving forward anyway. I completely reject the doomsday scenario that people have trotted out. I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
I engaged John Sanderson to try to find localised solutions for localised problems. At the end of the employment summit last year I gave him the task of following up on the opportunities that were presented at the summit so that we could see improved employment levels in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and Aboriginal individuals. That is his task. It is the minister’s task—as it should be—to coordinate the state government’s effort on Indigenous issues in cooperation with the federal minister and the communities affected.
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