❓ Premier Gallop responds to criticisms regarding his statements on antisocial and criminal behaviour by young Aboriginal children, drawing parallels with the Gordon Inquiry and emphasising the need to address the issue without excusing the behaviour.
AnsweredQoN 957Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
What is the Premier’s response to criticisms of his statements yesterday about antisocial and criminal behaviour by some young Aboriginal children? Dr G.I. GALLOP
AnswerView source ↗
I begin my remarks by expressing my condolences to the family and friends of the youngster who lost his life on Monday. It is always very sad when a young Western Australian - in this case a young Aboriginal Western Australian - loses his or her life and, in this case, in such tragic and horrific circumstances. However, the issue must be addressed; that is, the antisocial and criminal behaviour by some very young people and some very young Aboriginal people in our community. In responding to the criticisms that have been made of my comments, I will begin by drawing an analogy with another debate we have had in the State in the past 12 months. Members will recall that I initiated a commission of inquiry into the death of a young Aboriginal girl in tragic circumstances. The Gordon inquiry dealt with the whole issue of child abuse and domestic violence. For a long time that was seen as a no-go zone for public debate. It was seen as part of Aboriginal culture. It was something that people could not talk about or debate. The people who raised that subject were accused in some cases of being racist. As a result of the efforts of some very brave women in our community and some great Aboriginal leaders, that has all changed. We now debate and confront that issue. There is a long way to go, but the journey has commenced because we faced up to the reality, removed the rhetoric and the obfuscation from the issue and dealt with it for what it was - child sex abuse and domestic violence, which is unacceptable. There are some who describe antisocial behaviour and, indeed, criminal behaviour by young people as excusable because it is seen as the result of historical injustice, government inaction or government policy that has been misdirected. Such behaviour is never justifiable and we should say very clearly that it is never justifiable. There are no excuses for that sort of antisocial and criminal behaviour, no matter how young the person is who has engaged in that behaviour. My concern is that all too often either a mixed message or a wrong message is sent to young Aboriginal people; that is, somehow they are not responsible for what they do. That is the wrong message, and we must make it absolutely clear that that sort of behaviour will be described as and confronted for what it is. Antisocial and criminal behaviour is just that and should be described that way. When I introduced into this Parliament legislation to close the Swan Valley Nyungah Community camp in the interests of the women and children in that camp, I was also criticised. Indeed, some people in the community described those actions as racist. As one of the officials at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission said at the time, it would have been racist if we had not acted in defence of the women and children in that situation. I say the same thing about these young people. This is an issue that we must address. We cannot afford to lose young Aboriginal Western Australians to the criminal justice system and, in some cases, from this earth. We cannot afford to lose them because they have an important role to play in the future of Western Australia. My Government is committed to reconciliation. We are committed to dealing with the historical injustices that exist and we have done that - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. The SPEAKER: Leader of the National Party! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We are committed to reconciliation and we are doing that in the range of policies that we either have introduced since being in government, fought for when in opposition or are now carrying out in our commitment to Aboriginal land rights. However, we have entered a new era. We are committed to reconciliation. We must now move beyond reconciliation to the reconstruction of Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and young Aboriginal people so that they have a future. We will not accept the fact that some young Western Australians will be lost to this community, either through substance abuse, criminal activity or, in some tragic circumstances, death. We cannot afford to lose those youngsters. That means taking the rhetoric out of the debate and confronting the issue for what it is. Several members interjected.. The SPEAKER: Members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: The time has come to deal with this issue for what it is. This morning I had a very interesting discussion with some young Aboriginal single mothers in my electorate who are dealing with difficult circumstances. It strikes me that the voice we are now hearing throughout Western Australia is the voice of Aboriginal women. It is the voice of practical and commonsense women who are committed to the future of their children and their communities. The first the Government must do is listen much more to the voice of Aboriginal women in seeking solutions to these issues.
Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: I begin my remarks by expressing my condolences to the family and friends of the youngster who lost his life on Monday. It is always very sad when a young Western Australian - in this case a young Aboriginal Western Australian - loses his or her life and, in this case, in such tragic and horrific circumstances. However, the issue must be addressed; that is, the antisocial and criminal behaviour by some very young people and some very young Aboriginal people in our community. In responding to the criticisms that have been made of my comments, I will begin by drawing an analogy with another debate we have had in the State in the past 12 months. Members will recall that I initiated a commission of inquiry into the death of a young Aboriginal girl in tragic circumstances. The Gordon inquiry dealt with the whole issue of child abuse and domestic violence. For a long time that was seen as a no-go zone for public debate. It was seen as part of Aboriginal culture. It was something that people could not talk about or debate. The people who raised that subject were accused in some cases of being racist. As a result of the efforts of some very brave women in our community and some great Aboriginal leaders, that has all changed. We now debate and confront that issue. There is a long way to go, but the journey has commenced because we faced up to the reality, removed the rhetoric and the obfuscation from the issue and dealt with it for what it was - child sex abuse and domestic violence, which is unacceptable. There are some who describe antisocial behaviour and, indeed, criminal behaviour by young people as excusable because it is seen as the result of historical injustice, government inaction or government policy that has been misdirected. Such behaviour is never justifiable and we should say very clearly that it is never justifiable. There are no excuses for that sort of antisocial and criminal behaviour, no matter how young the person is who has engaged in that behaviour. My concern is that all too often either a mixed message or a wrong message is sent to young Aboriginal people; that is, somehow they are not responsible for what they do. That is the wrong message, and we must make it absolutely clear that that sort of behaviour will be described as and confronted for what it is. Antisocial and criminal behaviour is just that and should be described that way. When I introduced into this Parliament legislation to close the Swan Valley Nyungah Community camp in the interests of the women and children in that camp, I was also criticised. Indeed, some people in the community described those actions as racist. As one of the officials at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission said at the time, it would have been racist if we had not acted in defence of the women and children in that situation. I say the same thing about these young people. This is an issue that we must address. We cannot afford to lose young Aboriginal Western Australians to the criminal justice system and, in some cases, from this earth. We cannot afford to lose them because they have an important role to play in the future of Western Australia. My Government is committed to reconciliation. We are committed to dealing with the historical injustices that exist and we have done that - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. The SPEAKER: Leader of the National Party! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We are committed to reconciliation and we are doing that in the range of policies that we either have introduced since being in government, fought for when in opposition or are now carrying out in our commitment to Aboriginal land rights. However, we have entered a new era. We are committed to reconciliation. We must now move beyond reconciliation to the reconstruction of Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and young Aboriginal people so that they have a future. We will not accept the fact that some young Western Australians will be lost to this community, either through substance abuse, criminal activity or, in some tragic circumstances, death. We cannot afford to lose those youngsters. That means taking the rhetoric out of the debate and confronting the issue for what it is. Several members interjected.. The SPEAKER: Members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: The time has come to deal with this issue for what it is. This morning I had a very interesting discussion with some young Aboriginal single mothers in my electorate who are dealing with difficult circumstances. It strikes me that the voice we are now hearing throughout Western Australia is the voice of Aboriginal women. It is the voice of practical and commonsense women who are committed to the future of their children and their communities. The first the Government must do is listen much more to the voice of Aboriginal women in seeking solutions to these issues.
I begin my remarks by expressing my condolences to the family and friends of the youngster who lost his life on Monday. It is always very sad when a young Western Australian - in this case a young Aboriginal Western Australian - loses his or her life and, in this case, in such tragic and horrific circumstances. However, the issue must be addressed; that is, the antisocial and criminal behaviour by some very young people and some very young Aboriginal people in our community. In responding to the criticisms that have been made of my comments, I will begin by drawing an analogy with another debate we have had in the State in the past 12 months. Members will recall that I initiated a commission of inquiry into the death of a young Aboriginal girl in tragic circumstances. The Gordon inquiry dealt with the whole issue of child abuse and domestic violence. For a long time that was seen as a no-go zone for public debate. It was seen as part of Aboriginal culture. It was something that people could not talk about or debate. The people who raised that subject were accused in some cases of being racist. As a result of the efforts of some very brave women in our community and some great Aboriginal leaders, that has all changed. We now debate and confront that issue. There is a long way to go, but the journey has commenced because we faced up to the reality, removed the rhetoric and the obfuscation from the issue and dealt with it for what it was - child sex abuse and domestic violence, which is unacceptable. There are some who describe antisocial behaviour and, indeed, criminal behaviour by young people as excusable because it is seen as the result of historical injustice, government inaction or government policy that has been misdirected. Such behaviour is never justifiable and we should say very clearly that it is never justifiable. There are no excuses for that sort of antisocial and criminal behaviour, no matter how young the person is who has engaged in that behaviour. My concern is that all too often either a mixed message or a wrong message is sent to young Aboriginal people; that is, somehow they are not responsible for what they do. That is the wrong message, and we must make it absolutely clear that that sort of behaviour will be described as and confronted for what it is. Antisocial and criminal behaviour is just that and should be described that way. When I introduced into this Parliament legislation to close the Swan Valley Nyungah Community camp in the interests of the women and children in that camp, I was also criticised. Indeed, some people in the community described those actions as racist. As one of the officials at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission said at the time, it would have been racist if we had not acted in defence of the women and children in that situation. I say the same thing about these young people. This is an issue that we must address. We cannot afford to lose young Aboriginal Western Australians to the criminal justice system and, in some cases, from this earth. We cannot afford to lose them because they have an important role to play in the future of Western Australia. My Government is committed to reconciliation. We are committed to dealing with the historical injustices that exist and we have done that - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. The SPEAKER: Leader of the National Party! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We are committed to reconciliation and we are doing that in the range of policies that we either have introduced since being in government, fought for when in opposition or are now carrying out in our commitment to Aboriginal land rights. However, we have entered a new era. We are committed to reconciliation. We must now move beyond reconciliation to the reconstruction of Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and young Aboriginal people so that they have a future. We will not accept the fact that some young Western Australians will be lost to this community, either through substance abuse, criminal activity or, in some tragic circumstances, death. We cannot afford to lose those youngsters. That means taking the rhetoric out of the debate and confronting the issue for what it is. Several members interjected.. The SPEAKER: Members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: The time has come to deal with this issue for what it is. This morning I had a very interesting discussion with some young Aboriginal single mothers in my electorate who are dealing with difficult circumstances. It strikes me that the voice we are now hearing throughout Western Australia is the voice of Aboriginal women. It is the voice of practical and commonsense women who are committed to the future of their children and their communities. The first the Government must do is listen much more to the voice of Aboriginal women in seeking solutions to these issues.
In responding to the criticisms that have been made of my comments, I will begin by drawing an analogy with another debate we have had in the State in the past 12 months. Members will recall that I initiated a commission of inquiry into the death of a young Aboriginal girl in tragic circumstances. The Gordon inquiry dealt with the whole issue of child abuse and domestic violence. For a long time that was seen as a no-go zone for public debate. It was seen as part of Aboriginal culture. It was something that people could not talk about or debate. The people who raised that subject were accused in some cases of being racist. As a result of the efforts of some very brave women in our community and some great Aboriginal leaders, that has all changed. We now debate and confront that issue. There is a long way to go, but the journey has commenced because we faced up to the reality, removed the rhetoric and the obfuscation from the issue and dealt with it for what it was - child sex abuse and domestic violence, which is unacceptable. There are some who describe antisocial behaviour and, indeed, criminal behaviour by young people as excusable because it is seen as the result of historical injustice, government inaction or government policy that has been misdirected. Such behaviour is never justifiable and we should say very clearly that it is never justifiable. There are no excuses for that sort of antisocial and criminal behaviour, no matter how young the person is who has engaged in that behaviour. My concern is that all too often either a mixed message or a wrong message is sent to young Aboriginal people; that is, somehow they are not responsible for what they do. That is the wrong message, and we must make it absolutely clear that that sort of behaviour will be described as and confronted for what it is. Antisocial and criminal behaviour is just that and should be described that way. When I introduced into this Parliament legislation to close the Swan Valley Nyungah Community camp in the interests of the women and children in that camp, I was also criticised. Indeed, some people in the community described those actions as racist. As one of the officials at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission said at the time, it would have been racist if we had not acted in defence of the women and children in that situation. I say the same thing about these young people. This is an issue that we must address. We cannot afford to lose young Aboriginal Western Australians to the criminal justice system and, in some cases, from this earth. We cannot afford to lose them because they have an important role to play in the future of Western Australia. My Government is committed to reconciliation. We are committed to dealing with the historical injustices that exist and we have done that - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. The SPEAKER: Leader of the National Party! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We are committed to reconciliation and we are doing that in the range of policies that we either have introduced since being in government, fought for when in opposition or are now carrying out in our commitment to Aboriginal land rights. However, we have entered a new era. We are committed to reconciliation. We must now move beyond reconciliation to the reconstruction of Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and young Aboriginal people so that they have a future. We will not accept the fact that some young Western Australians will be lost to this community, either through substance abuse, criminal activity or, in some tragic circumstances, death. We cannot afford to lose those youngsters. That means taking the rhetoric out of the debate and confronting the issue for what it is. Several members interjected.. The SPEAKER: Members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: The time has come to deal with this issue for what it is. This morning I had a very interesting discussion with some young Aboriginal single mothers in my electorate who are dealing with difficult circumstances. It strikes me that the voice we are now hearing throughout Western Australia is the voice of Aboriginal women. It is the voice of practical and commonsense women who are committed to the future of their children and their communities. The first the Government must do is listen much more to the voice of Aboriginal women in seeking solutions to these issues.
There are some who describe antisocial behaviour and, indeed, criminal behaviour by young people as excusable because it is seen as the result of historical injustice, government inaction or government policy that has been misdirected. Such behaviour is never justifiable and we should say very clearly that it is never justifiable. There are no excuses for that sort of antisocial and criminal behaviour, no matter how young the person is who has engaged in that behaviour. My concern is that all too often either a mixed message or a wrong message is sent to young Aboriginal people; that is, somehow they are not responsible for what they do. That is the wrong message, and we must make it absolutely clear that that sort of behaviour will be described as and confronted for what it is. Antisocial and criminal behaviour is just that and should be described that way. When I introduced into this Parliament legislation to close the Swan Valley Nyungah Community camp in the interests of the women and children in that camp, I was also criticised. Indeed, some people in the community described those actions as racist. As one of the officials at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission said at the time, it would have been racist if we had not acted in defence of the women and children in that situation. I say the same thing about these young people. This is an issue that we must address. We cannot afford to lose young Aboriginal Western Australians to the criminal justice system and, in some cases, from this earth. We cannot afford to lose them because they have an important role to play in the future of Western Australia. My Government is committed to reconciliation. We are committed to dealing with the historical injustices that exist and we have done that - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. The SPEAKER: Leader of the National Party! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We are committed to reconciliation and we are doing that in the range of policies that we either have introduced since being in government, fought for when in opposition or are now carrying out in our commitment to Aboriginal land rights. However, we have entered a new era. We are committed to reconciliation. We must now move beyond reconciliation to the reconstruction of Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and young Aboriginal people so that they have a future. We will not accept the fact that some young Western Australians will be lost to this community, either through substance abuse, criminal activity or, in some tragic circumstances, death. We cannot afford to lose those youngsters. That means taking the rhetoric out of the debate and confronting the issue for what it is. Several members interjected.. The SPEAKER: Members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: The time has come to deal with this issue for what it is. This morning I had a very interesting discussion with some young Aboriginal single mothers in my electorate who are dealing with difficult circumstances. It strikes me that the voice we are now hearing throughout Western Australia is the voice of Aboriginal women. It is the voice of practical and commonsense women who are committed to the future of their children and their communities. The first the Government must do is listen much more to the voice of Aboriginal women in seeking solutions to these issues.
When I introduced into this Parliament legislation to close the Swan Valley Nyungah Community camp in the interests of the women and children in that camp, I was also criticised. Indeed, some people in the community described those actions as racist. As one of the officials at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission said at the time, it would have been racist if we had not acted in defence of the women and children in that situation. I say the same thing about these young people. This is an issue that we must address. We cannot afford to lose young Aboriginal Western Australians to the criminal justice system and, in some cases, from this earth. We cannot afford to lose them because they have an important role to play in the future of Western Australia. My Government is committed to reconciliation. We are committed to dealing with the historical injustices that exist and we have done that - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. The SPEAKER: Leader of the National Party! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We are committed to reconciliation and we are doing that in the range of policies that we either have introduced since being in government, fought for when in opposition or are now carrying out in our commitment to Aboriginal land rights. However, we have entered a new era. We are committed to reconciliation. We must now move beyond reconciliation to the reconstruction of Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and young Aboriginal people so that they have a future. We will not accept the fact that some young Western Australians will be lost to this community, either through substance abuse, criminal activity or, in some tragic circumstances, death. We cannot afford to lose those youngsters. That means taking the rhetoric out of the debate and confronting the issue for what it is. Several members interjected.. The SPEAKER: Members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: The time has come to deal with this issue for what it is. This morning I had a very interesting discussion with some young Aboriginal single mothers in my electorate who are dealing with difficult circumstances. It strikes me that the voice we are now hearing throughout Western Australia is the voice of Aboriginal women. It is the voice of practical and commonsense women who are committed to the future of their children and their communities. The first the Government must do is listen much more to the voice of Aboriginal women in seeking solutions to these issues.
Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. The SPEAKER: Leader of the National Party! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We are committed to reconciliation and we are doing that in the range of policies that we either have introduced since being in government, fought for when in opposition or are now carrying out in our commitment to Aboriginal land rights. However, we have entered a new era. We are committed to reconciliation. We must now move beyond reconciliation to the reconstruction of Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and young Aboriginal people so that they have a future. We will not accept the fact that some young Western Australians will be lost to this community, either through substance abuse, criminal activity or, in some tragic circumstances, death. We cannot afford to lose those youngsters. That means taking the rhetoric out of the debate and confronting the issue for what it is. Several members interjected.. The SPEAKER: Members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: The time has come to deal with this issue for what it is. This morning I had a very interesting discussion with some young Aboriginal single mothers in my electorate who are dealing with difficult circumstances. It strikes me that the voice we are now hearing throughout Western Australia is the voice of Aboriginal women. It is the voice of practical and commonsense women who are committed to the future of their children and their communities. The first the Government must do is listen much more to the voice of Aboriginal women in seeking solutions to these issues.
The SPEAKER: Leader of the National Party! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We are committed to reconciliation and we are doing that in the range of policies that we either have introduced since being in government, fought for when in opposition or are now carrying out in our commitment to Aboriginal land rights. However, we have entered a new era. We are committed to reconciliation. We must now move beyond reconciliation to the reconstruction of Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and young Aboriginal people so that they have a future. We will not accept the fact that some young Western Australians will be lost to this community, either through substance abuse, criminal activity or, in some tragic circumstances, death. We cannot afford to lose those youngsters. That means taking the rhetoric out of the debate and confronting the issue for what it is. Several members interjected.. The SPEAKER: Members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: The time has come to deal with this issue for what it is. This morning I had a very interesting discussion with some young Aboriginal single mothers in my electorate who are dealing with difficult circumstances. It strikes me that the voice we are now hearing throughout Western Australia is the voice of Aboriginal women. It is the voice of practical and commonsense women who are committed to the future of their children and their communities. The first the Government must do is listen much more to the voice of Aboriginal women in seeking solutions to these issues.
Dr G.I. GALLOP: We are committed to reconciliation and we are doing that in the range of policies that we either have introduced since being in government, fought for when in opposition or are now carrying out in our commitment to Aboriginal land rights. However, we have entered a new era. We are committed to reconciliation. We must now move beyond reconciliation to the reconstruction of Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and young Aboriginal people so that they have a future. We will not accept the fact that some young Western Australians will be lost to this community, either through substance abuse, criminal activity or, in some tragic circumstances, death. We cannot afford to lose those youngsters. That means taking the rhetoric out of the debate and confronting the issue for what it is. Several members interjected.. The SPEAKER: Members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: The time has come to deal with this issue for what it is. This morning I had a very interesting discussion with some young Aboriginal single mothers in my electorate who are dealing with difficult circumstances. It strikes me that the voice we are now hearing throughout Western Australia is the voice of Aboriginal women. It is the voice of practical and commonsense women who are committed to the future of their children and their communities. The first the Government must do is listen much more to the voice of Aboriginal women in seeking solutions to these issues.
Several members interjected.. The SPEAKER: Members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: The time has come to deal with this issue for what it is. This morning I had a very interesting discussion with some young Aboriginal single mothers in my electorate who are dealing with difficult circumstances. It strikes me that the voice we are now hearing throughout Western Australia is the voice of Aboriginal women. It is the voice of practical and commonsense women who are committed to the future of their children and their communities. The first the Government must do is listen much more to the voice of Aboriginal women in seeking solutions to these issues.
The SPEAKER: Members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: The time has come to deal with this issue for what it is. This morning I had a very interesting discussion with some young Aboriginal single mothers in my electorate who are dealing with difficult circumstances. It strikes me that the voice we are now hearing throughout Western Australia is the voice of Aboriginal women. It is the voice of practical and commonsense women who are committed to the future of their children and their communities. The first the Government must do is listen much more to the voice of Aboriginal women in seeking solutions to these issues.
Dr G.I. GALLOP: The time has come to deal with this issue for what it is. This morning I had a very interesting discussion with some young Aboriginal single mothers in my electorate who are dealing with difficult circumstances. It strikes me that the voice we are now hearing throughout Western Australia is the voice of Aboriginal women. It is the voice of practical and commonsense women who are committed to the future of their children and their communities. The first the Government must do is listen much more to the voice of Aboriginal women in seeking solutions to these issues.
Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: I begin my remarks by expressing my condolences to the family and friends of the youngster who lost his life on Monday. It is always very sad when a young Western Australian - in this case a young Aboriginal Western Australian - loses his or her life and, in this case, in such tragic and horrific circumstances. However, the issue must be addressed; that is, the antisocial and criminal behaviour by some very young people and some very young Aboriginal people in our community. In responding to the criticisms that have been made of my comments, I will begin by drawing an analogy with another debate we have had in the State in the past 12 months. Members will recall that I initiated a commission of inquiry into the death of a young Aboriginal girl in tragic circumstances. The Gordon inquiry dealt with the whole issue of child abuse and domestic violence. For a long time that was seen as a no-go zone for public debate. It was seen as part of Aboriginal culture. It was something that people could not talk about or debate. The people who raised that subject were accused in some cases of being racist. As a result of the efforts of some very brave women in our community and some great Aboriginal leaders, that has all changed. We now debate and confront that issue. There is a long way to go, but the journey has commenced because we faced up to the reality, removed the rhetoric and the obfuscation from the issue and dealt with it for what it was - child sex abuse and domestic violence, which is unacceptable. There are some who describe antisocial behaviour and, indeed, criminal behaviour by young people as excusable because it is seen as the result of historical injustice, government inaction or government policy that has been misdirected. Such behaviour is never justifiable and we should say very clearly that it is never justifiable. There are no excuses for that sort of antisocial and criminal behaviour, no matter how young the person is who has engaged in that behaviour. My concern is that all too often either a mixed message or a wrong message is sent to young Aboriginal people; that is, somehow they are not responsible for what they do. That is the wrong message, and we must make it absolutely clear that that sort of behaviour will be described as and confronted for what it is. Antisocial and criminal behaviour is just that and should be described that way. When I introduced into this Parliament legislation to close the Swan Valley Nyungah Community camp in the interests of the women and children in that camp, I was also criticised. Indeed, some people in the community described those actions as racist. As one of the officials at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission said at the time, it would have been racist if we had not acted in defence of the women and children in that situation. I say the same thing about these young people. This is an issue that we must address. We cannot afford to lose young Aboriginal Western Australians to the criminal justice system and, in some cases, from this earth. We cannot afford to lose them because they have an important role to play in the future of Western Australia. My Government is committed to reconciliation. We are committed to dealing with the historical injustices that exist and we have done that - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. The SPEAKER: Leader of the National Party! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We are committed to reconciliation and we are doing that in the range of policies that we either have introduced since being in government, fought for when in opposition or are now carrying out in our commitment to Aboriginal land rights. However, we have entered a new era. We are committed to reconciliation. We must now move beyond reconciliation to the reconstruction of Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and young Aboriginal people so that they have a future. We will not accept the fact that some young Western Australians will be lost to this community, either through substance abuse, criminal activity or, in some tragic circumstances, death. We cannot afford to lose those youngsters. That means taking the rhetoric out of the debate and confronting the issue for what it is. Several members interjected.. The SPEAKER: Members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: The time has come to deal with this issue for what it is. This morning I had a very interesting discussion with some young Aboriginal single mothers in my electorate who are dealing with difficult circumstances. It strikes me that the voice we are now hearing throughout Western Australia is the voice of Aboriginal women. It is the voice of practical and commonsense women who are committed to the future of their children and their communities. The first the Government must do is listen much more to the voice of Aboriginal women in seeking solutions to these issues.
I begin my remarks by expressing my condolences to the family and friends of the youngster who lost his life on Monday. It is always very sad when a young Western Australian - in this case a young Aboriginal Western Australian - loses his or her life and, in this case, in such tragic and horrific circumstances. However, the issue must be addressed; that is, the antisocial and criminal behaviour by some very young people and some very young Aboriginal people in our community. In responding to the criticisms that have been made of my comments, I will begin by drawing an analogy with another debate we have had in the State in the past 12 months. Members will recall that I initiated a commission of inquiry into the death of a young Aboriginal girl in tragic circumstances. The Gordon inquiry dealt with the whole issue of child abuse and domestic violence. For a long time that was seen as a no-go zone for public debate. It was seen as part of Aboriginal culture. It was something that people could not talk about or debate. The people who raised that subject were accused in some cases of being racist. As a result of the efforts of some very brave women in our community and some great Aboriginal leaders, that has all changed. We now debate and confront that issue. There is a long way to go, but the journey has commenced because we faced up to the reality, removed the rhetoric and the obfuscation from the issue and dealt with it for what it was - child sex abuse and domestic violence, which is unacceptable. There are some who describe antisocial behaviour and, indeed, criminal behaviour by young people as excusable because it is seen as the result of historical injustice, government inaction or government policy that has been misdirected. Such behaviour is never justifiable and we should say very clearly that it is never justifiable. There are no excuses for that sort of antisocial and criminal behaviour, no matter how young the person is who has engaged in that behaviour. My concern is that all too often either a mixed message or a wrong message is sent to young Aboriginal people; that is, somehow they are not responsible for what they do. That is the wrong message, and we must make it absolutely clear that that sort of behaviour will be described as and confronted for what it is. Antisocial and criminal behaviour is just that and should be described that way. When I introduced into this Parliament legislation to close the Swan Valley Nyungah Community camp in the interests of the women and children in that camp, I was also criticised. Indeed, some people in the community described those actions as racist. As one of the officials at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission said at the time, it would have been racist if we had not acted in defence of the women and children in that situation. I say the same thing about these young people. This is an issue that we must address. We cannot afford to lose young Aboriginal Western Australians to the criminal justice system and, in some cases, from this earth. We cannot afford to lose them because they have an important role to play in the future of Western Australia. My Government is committed to reconciliation. We are committed to dealing with the historical injustices that exist and we have done that - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. The SPEAKER: Leader of the National Party! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We are committed to reconciliation and we are doing that in the range of policies that we either have introduced since being in government, fought for when in opposition or are now carrying out in our commitment to Aboriginal land rights. However, we have entered a new era. We are committed to reconciliation. We must now move beyond reconciliation to the reconstruction of Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and young Aboriginal people so that they have a future. We will not accept the fact that some young Western Australians will be lost to this community, either through substance abuse, criminal activity or, in some tragic circumstances, death. We cannot afford to lose those youngsters. That means taking the rhetoric out of the debate and confronting the issue for what it is. Several members interjected.. The SPEAKER: Members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: The time has come to deal with this issue for what it is. This morning I had a very interesting discussion with some young Aboriginal single mothers in my electorate who are dealing with difficult circumstances. It strikes me that the voice we are now hearing throughout Western Australia is the voice of Aboriginal women. It is the voice of practical and commonsense women who are committed to the future of their children and their communities. The first the Government must do is listen much more to the voice of Aboriginal women in seeking solutions to these issues.
In responding to the criticisms that have been made of my comments, I will begin by drawing an analogy with another debate we have had in the State in the past 12 months. Members will recall that I initiated a commission of inquiry into the death of a young Aboriginal girl in tragic circumstances. The Gordon inquiry dealt with the whole issue of child abuse and domestic violence. For a long time that was seen as a no-go zone for public debate. It was seen as part of Aboriginal culture. It was something that people could not talk about or debate. The people who raised that subject were accused in some cases of being racist. As a result of the efforts of some very brave women in our community and some great Aboriginal leaders, that has all changed. We now debate and confront that issue. There is a long way to go, but the journey has commenced because we faced up to the reality, removed the rhetoric and the obfuscation from the issue and dealt with it for what it was - child sex abuse and domestic violence, which is unacceptable. There are some who describe antisocial behaviour and, indeed, criminal behaviour by young people as excusable because it is seen as the result of historical injustice, government inaction or government policy that has been misdirected. Such behaviour is never justifiable and we should say very clearly that it is never justifiable. There are no excuses for that sort of antisocial and criminal behaviour, no matter how young the person is who has engaged in that behaviour. My concern is that all too often either a mixed message or a wrong message is sent to young Aboriginal people; that is, somehow they are not responsible for what they do. That is the wrong message, and we must make it absolutely clear that that sort of behaviour will be described as and confronted for what it is. Antisocial and criminal behaviour is just that and should be described that way. When I introduced into this Parliament legislation to close the Swan Valley Nyungah Community camp in the interests of the women and children in that camp, I was also criticised. Indeed, some people in the community described those actions as racist. As one of the officials at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission said at the time, it would have been racist if we had not acted in defence of the women and children in that situation. I say the same thing about these young people. This is an issue that we must address. We cannot afford to lose young Aboriginal Western Australians to the criminal justice system and, in some cases, from this earth. We cannot afford to lose them because they have an important role to play in the future of Western Australia. My Government is committed to reconciliation. We are committed to dealing with the historical injustices that exist and we have done that - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. The SPEAKER: Leader of the National Party! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We are committed to reconciliation and we are doing that in the range of policies that we either have introduced since being in government, fought for when in opposition or are now carrying out in our commitment to Aboriginal land rights. However, we have entered a new era. We are committed to reconciliation. We must now move beyond reconciliation to the reconstruction of Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and young Aboriginal people so that they have a future. We will not accept the fact that some young Western Australians will be lost to this community, either through substance abuse, criminal activity or, in some tragic circumstances, death. We cannot afford to lose those youngsters. That means taking the rhetoric out of the debate and confronting the issue for what it is. Several members interjected.. The SPEAKER: Members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: The time has come to deal with this issue for what it is. This morning I had a very interesting discussion with some young Aboriginal single mothers in my electorate who are dealing with difficult circumstances. It strikes me that the voice we are now hearing throughout Western Australia is the voice of Aboriginal women. It is the voice of practical and commonsense women who are committed to the future of their children and their communities. The first the Government must do is listen much more to the voice of Aboriginal women in seeking solutions to these issues.
There are some who describe antisocial behaviour and, indeed, criminal behaviour by young people as excusable because it is seen as the result of historical injustice, government inaction or government policy that has been misdirected. Such behaviour is never justifiable and we should say very clearly that it is never justifiable. There are no excuses for that sort of antisocial and criminal behaviour, no matter how young the person is who has engaged in that behaviour. My concern is that all too often either a mixed message or a wrong message is sent to young Aboriginal people; that is, somehow they are not responsible for what they do. That is the wrong message, and we must make it absolutely clear that that sort of behaviour will be described as and confronted for what it is. Antisocial and criminal behaviour is just that and should be described that way. When I introduced into this Parliament legislation to close the Swan Valley Nyungah Community camp in the interests of the women and children in that camp, I was also criticised. Indeed, some people in the community described those actions as racist. As one of the officials at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission said at the time, it would have been racist if we had not acted in defence of the women and children in that situation. I say the same thing about these young people. This is an issue that we must address. We cannot afford to lose young Aboriginal Western Australians to the criminal justice system and, in some cases, from this earth. We cannot afford to lose them because they have an important role to play in the future of Western Australia. My Government is committed to reconciliation. We are committed to dealing with the historical injustices that exist and we have done that - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. The SPEAKER: Leader of the National Party! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We are committed to reconciliation and we are doing that in the range of policies that we either have introduced since being in government, fought for when in opposition or are now carrying out in our commitment to Aboriginal land rights. However, we have entered a new era. We are committed to reconciliation. We must now move beyond reconciliation to the reconstruction of Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and young Aboriginal people so that they have a future. We will not accept the fact that some young Western Australians will be lost to this community, either through substance abuse, criminal activity or, in some tragic circumstances, death. We cannot afford to lose those youngsters. That means taking the rhetoric out of the debate and confronting the issue for what it is. Several members interjected.. The SPEAKER: Members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: The time has come to deal with this issue for what it is. This morning I had a very interesting discussion with some young Aboriginal single mothers in my electorate who are dealing with difficult circumstances. It strikes me that the voice we are now hearing throughout Western Australia is the voice of Aboriginal women. It is the voice of practical and commonsense women who are committed to the future of their children and their communities. The first the Government must do is listen much more to the voice of Aboriginal women in seeking solutions to these issues.
When I introduced into this Parliament legislation to close the Swan Valley Nyungah Community camp in the interests of the women and children in that camp, I was also criticised. Indeed, some people in the community described those actions as racist. As one of the officials at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission said at the time, it would have been racist if we had not acted in defence of the women and children in that situation. I say the same thing about these young people. This is an issue that we must address. We cannot afford to lose young Aboriginal Western Australians to the criminal justice system and, in some cases, from this earth. We cannot afford to lose them because they have an important role to play in the future of Western Australia. My Government is committed to reconciliation. We are committed to dealing with the historical injustices that exist and we have done that - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. The SPEAKER: Leader of the National Party! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We are committed to reconciliation and we are doing that in the range of policies that we either have introduced since being in government, fought for when in opposition or are now carrying out in our commitment to Aboriginal land rights. However, we have entered a new era. We are committed to reconciliation. We must now move beyond reconciliation to the reconstruction of Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and young Aboriginal people so that they have a future. We will not accept the fact that some young Western Australians will be lost to this community, either through substance abuse, criminal activity or, in some tragic circumstances, death. We cannot afford to lose those youngsters. That means taking the rhetoric out of the debate and confronting the issue for what it is. Several members interjected.. The SPEAKER: Members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: The time has come to deal with this issue for what it is. This morning I had a very interesting discussion with some young Aboriginal single mothers in my electorate who are dealing with difficult circumstances. It strikes me that the voice we are now hearing throughout Western Australia is the voice of Aboriginal women. It is the voice of practical and commonsense women who are committed to the future of their children and their communities. The first the Government must do is listen much more to the voice of Aboriginal women in seeking solutions to these issues.
Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. The SPEAKER: Leader of the National Party! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We are committed to reconciliation and we are doing that in the range of policies that we either have introduced since being in government, fought for when in opposition or are now carrying out in our commitment to Aboriginal land rights. However, we have entered a new era. We are committed to reconciliation. We must now move beyond reconciliation to the reconstruction of Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and young Aboriginal people so that they have a future. We will not accept the fact that some young Western Australians will be lost to this community, either through substance abuse, criminal activity or, in some tragic circumstances, death. We cannot afford to lose those youngsters. That means taking the rhetoric out of the debate and confronting the issue for what it is. Several members interjected.. The SPEAKER: Members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: The time has come to deal with this issue for what it is. This morning I had a very interesting discussion with some young Aboriginal single mothers in my electorate who are dealing with difficult circumstances. It strikes me that the voice we are now hearing throughout Western Australia is the voice of Aboriginal women. It is the voice of practical and commonsense women who are committed to the future of their children and their communities. The first the Government must do is listen much more to the voice of Aboriginal women in seeking solutions to these issues.
The SPEAKER: Leader of the National Party! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We are committed to reconciliation and we are doing that in the range of policies that we either have introduced since being in government, fought for when in opposition or are now carrying out in our commitment to Aboriginal land rights. However, we have entered a new era. We are committed to reconciliation. We must now move beyond reconciliation to the reconstruction of Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and young Aboriginal people so that they have a future. We will not accept the fact that some young Western Australians will be lost to this community, either through substance abuse, criminal activity or, in some tragic circumstances, death. We cannot afford to lose those youngsters. That means taking the rhetoric out of the debate and confronting the issue for what it is. Several members interjected.. The SPEAKER: Members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: The time has come to deal with this issue for what it is. This morning I had a very interesting discussion with some young Aboriginal single mothers in my electorate who are dealing with difficult circumstances. It strikes me that the voice we are now hearing throughout Western Australia is the voice of Aboriginal women. It is the voice of practical and commonsense women who are committed to the future of their children and their communities. The first the Government must do is listen much more to the voice of Aboriginal women in seeking solutions to these issues.
Dr G.I. GALLOP: We are committed to reconciliation and we are doing that in the range of policies that we either have introduced since being in government, fought for when in opposition or are now carrying out in our commitment to Aboriginal land rights. However, we have entered a new era. We are committed to reconciliation. We must now move beyond reconciliation to the reconstruction of Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal families and young Aboriginal people so that they have a future. We will not accept the fact that some young Western Australians will be lost to this community, either through substance abuse, criminal activity or, in some tragic circumstances, death. We cannot afford to lose those youngsters. That means taking the rhetoric out of the debate and confronting the issue for what it is. Several members interjected.. The SPEAKER: Members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: The time has come to deal with this issue for what it is. This morning I had a very interesting discussion with some young Aboriginal single mothers in my electorate who are dealing with difficult circumstances. It strikes me that the voice we are now hearing throughout Western Australia is the voice of Aboriginal women. It is the voice of practical and commonsense women who are committed to the future of their children and their communities. The first the Government must do is listen much more to the voice of Aboriginal women in seeking solutions to these issues.
Several members interjected.. The SPEAKER: Members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: The time has come to deal with this issue for what it is. This morning I had a very interesting discussion with some young Aboriginal single mothers in my electorate who are dealing with difficult circumstances. It strikes me that the voice we are now hearing throughout Western Australia is the voice of Aboriginal women. It is the voice of practical and commonsense women who are committed to the future of their children and their communities. The first the Government must do is listen much more to the voice of Aboriginal women in seeking solutions to these issues.
The SPEAKER: Members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: The time has come to deal with this issue for what it is. This morning I had a very interesting discussion with some young Aboriginal single mothers in my electorate who are dealing with difficult circumstances. It strikes me that the voice we are now hearing throughout Western Australia is the voice of Aboriginal women. It is the voice of practical and commonsense women who are committed to the future of their children and their communities. The first the Government must do is listen much more to the voice of Aboriginal women in seeking solutions to these issues.
Dr G.I. GALLOP: The time has come to deal with this issue for what it is. This morning I had a very interesting discussion with some young Aboriginal single mothers in my electorate who are dealing with difficult circumstances. It strikes me that the voice we are now hearing throughout Western Australia is the voice of Aboriginal women. It is the voice of practical and commonsense women who are committed to the future of their children and their communities. The first the Government must do is listen much more to the voice of Aboriginal women in seeking solutions to these issues.
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