Doorstop – Uluru | Prime Minister of Australia
MARION SCRYMGOUR, MEMBER FOR LINGIARI: I want to welcome everyone to the heart of Australia. This is where it began. We all gathered on this fantastic spiritual, cultural land. And I’m joined here with the Prime Minister, with the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, with Pat Farmer. But importantly, Noel Pearson and I were both here when the convention started. We travelled around the country, we talked to many thousands of Aboriginal people right throughout the country, to eventually reach here, to the heart of Australia, the heart of my electorate of Lingiari. I reckon out of all of the positions in Federal Parliament, this is probably the best one. But it’s fantastic to welcome a person like Pat Farmer, someone whose conviction and integrity isn’t questioned. To have run those 14,000 kilometres, I don’t think I could run even 100 metres. But what a feat that this man has done, and everyone that has supported this campaign. And I want to now hand over to Noel to say a few words.
NOEL PEARSON: No greater love has an Australian shown to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this campaign than Pat Farmer. But his love is matched, believe me, by hundreds and thousands and millions of Australians. They’re not going to walk or run 14,500 kilometres. They’re gonna walk 20 metres to the polling booth on Saturday and follow Pat’s inspiration. I believe that. Now’s our chance. Pat’s been an inspiration to all of us. It’s been a long campaign with many ups and downs for people like me. In the darkness of night, when you’re feeling low, you think about Pat out on the highway. And you revive a belief in the Australian people. Your spirits pick up when you think about Pat, over such a long campaign as this. So I just want to express my gratitude to this great man and his family for setting the pace. Not just the physical pace, the moral pace for all of us to reach the destination on Saturday.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well thanks Noel and Marion. Thank you for your leadership of First Nations people. It has been an honour of my life to be involved in this most important of campaigns, to do what John Howard spoke about almost 20 years ago to make our Constitution complete. It is incomplete while it pretends that this nation began in 1788. And here at Uluru, the heart of Australia, we are given a reminder of the spiritual and cultural significance of this wonderful place in the heart of this great country, that we non-Indigenous Australians have the great privilege of sharing with the oldest continuous culture on earth. Pat Farmer has run 14,500 kilometres around Australia, through every nook and cranny of this great continent of ours. It began on the South Island when we farewelled him in Hobart in April. And at that time, I pledged to join with him on this day in October. We, at that time, thought it was pretty ambitious, someone running 14,500 kilometres. He has provided an inspiration for Australians. And what he has done in running 14,500 kilometres, to ask his fellow Australians to just walk a few metres, walk into a polling booth and write Y-E-S on the ballot paper, on the referendum. To do just two things: to recognise our first Australians in our Constitution through the request that was made right here in 2017, after an extensive process, after many years, under the former Government, to have it in a form which gave Indigenous Australians’ voice to be listened to, not to make decisions, but just to be listened to, with the Parliament remaining supreme and untouched for decision-making power. When we talk about Indigenous Affairs, they are the voices we need to listen to, not the voices of division, not the voices which have consciously tried to sow confusion into what is a very clear and simple proposition that Australians will vote for. And certainly not the voices of fear, because no nation was ever advanced by succumbing to fear. What advances and enlarge as a nation is hope and optimism for the future. That is what we’re being asked to do between now and Saturday. And I ask of my fellow Australians, nothing more, but nothing less either, than to read the clear proposition that’s on the ballot paper. And to come to their own position, which the Government will certainly respect. But I think when Australians read what is proposed – recognition through a body to make representations on matters affecting indigenous people, with the Parliament and government retaining its primacy – then the answer is very clear. The answer is Yes. And together, what that will do is enable us to move forward as a nation in such a positive way. And I express my utter admiration and or for the commitment that Pat Farmer has shown. There are so many Australians out there, tens of thousands of Australians, giving up their time to advance this nation in a positive way. And the Yes campaign, I’m very proud, has been positive and optimistic and forward looking. But no one has done more than this bloke. And I’m very pleased to welcome him here at Uluru.
PAT FARMER: Firstly, can I acknowledge the traditional owners of this land in which we stand on. I say that quite purposely, because we need to acknowledge and understand the meaning of respecting elders past, present and emerging. The reason why we need to know and understand those because the culture that we have here behind us and all around us, in this wonderful place called Australia, has been handed down, generation after generation after generation for over 60,000 years. Over 60,000 years. It wasn’t written down, it was passed down verbally. It was passed down through dance, through art, through culture. And just because it wasn’t written in a book doesn’t make it any less significant than the culture that we, most of us, have come to know. And I’m glad, very happy to be at this point in time, at this point in the world’s time, where we start to acknowledge Indigenous communities right around the world and the significance of that culture. I have to tell all of you that from 40kms out from this point, yesterday, when I first got my glimpse of Uluru, it looked almost purplish colour from the distance. It brought a tear to my eye and a realisation that this journey was finally coming to an end. It helped me to reflect at that point in time. And for that reason, I wish to thank God for giving me the gift, the gifts that I have to be able to do this role that you’ve seen before you today, and that is these unique gifts of understanding the workings of Parliament and politics, not just here in Australia but worldwide, through gifts of being able to put one foot in front of the other further and perhaps faster over those longer distances than almost any other person on earth. But the gifts bring those two things together and using those as an inspiration to others and as a thread to weave together this, as I said in Tasmania, this rich tapestry that we know as Australia, all the states, all the territories coming together, all the communities, all the people in those communities coming together, to the footsteps I’ve been able to lay out. I want to say to all of you that this monument behind me, this monolith behind me, has been a magnet to my soul. It has been a magnet to this piece of steel that stands in front of you. And I have been drawn closer and closer to it. And I can’t help but feel some sort of spiritual sense of the place that we stand on at this point in time. And I know that there’s an absolute connection between this place, between Uluru, between this earth that we stand on, and between the people that inhabit it. And it’s something that we all need to embrace and learn from and experience as well. And that’s why I want to invite all Australians, all Australians, to know and to understand and to learn the Indigenous culture that is Australia. That is Australia, a very rich, a very proud culture, an understanding of our flora and fauna and why it works the way it does, why it withstands these incredible conditions that I’ve had to endure as well: driving wind, driving rain, snow, hail, you name it, dust storms. The earth gets underneath your skin and inside your lungs and becomes part of you and you become part of it.
Now finally, I understand what our Indigenous people have been trying to say to us for such a long piece of time, that they are connected to this earth. And we need to love and respect this country Australia. And I think if all Australians see it the way that I’ve seen it, then you’ll understand the significance of this place and this country that we call home. I also want to mention something that was passed on to me by a wonderful Indigenous leader down in Adelaide, when she said to me that the Australian people have, for a long time, exercised sympathy towards our Indigenous people, sympathy towards our Indigenous people. And she said to me, Pat, we don’t want sympathy. What we want, what we need is empathy. Empathy. Because empathy, the difference between those two, is when somebody walks in your shoes, when somebody understands what it’s like to live without and understands the need to close the gap. And that’s what we have the opportunity to do on Saturday. All we have to do is vote Yes. All we have to do is vote Yes and we can change history in this country for the better: for future generations, for our children, and for all children in this nation. That is most significant. I also want all of you, and through the media that’s here, to get the message out to every single Australian, please reflect on our coat of arms. There is a very, very good reason why this country uniquely has an emu and uniquely has a kangaroo. And when you start to understand the meaning of this country, you understand that we do not walk backwards. We do not take a backward step. We only ever move forwards. And so on Saturday, we have an opportunity to learn from the mistakes of the past, to correct those mistakes and to move forward together as one. To move forward together as one. So learn from our coat of arms, embrace it, understand it, live it, breathe it with every nerve and sinew in your body, in everything that you choose to do with your life. As it was mentioned earlier on, not everybody needs to be a runner, not everybody needs to be a politician. Not everybody even needs to be a leader. But they need to be true to themselves. And they need to continuously move forward. So I want to encourage all of you to vote Yes and to do that.
NATASHA FYLES, CHIEF MINISTER OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY: And congratulations to Pat, an amazing achievement. We’re here at Uluru, the heart of Australia, where our First Nations people came together and asked us as a nation some very simple requests, to recognise and to listen. Our First Nations people are so generous, everything they have given us and continue to give us. It is in our national anthem to advance Australia fairly. And that is all that is being asked of us as a nation this weekend, is to advance Australia. to move forward, and to do it fairly for all. So to our First Nations people, I acknowledge you, your history, your culture. Thank you so much for sharing everything. And we know, as leaders, as a community, when we listen to our First Nations people, we achieve and we can overcome the obstacles. So a huge congratulations to Pat, an amazing achievement. I ran five kilometres with him in the Top End, and he’s done a huge amount in drawing people together with a common purpose. So I urge Australians on Saturday to think about what this means for our nation, not just them as individuals or the fear they may have, but actually understand the question. And vote Yes.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister last night was a very emotional event. I was just wondering if you could talk us through what was going through your head at that time?
PRIME MINISTER: Just the generosity of spirit of these wonderful Indigenous women who were a part of producing a beautiful artwork to surround what are eloquent and beautiful words inviting Australia to reconcile, to walk forward through the Uluru Statement from the Heart. But to be able to sit in this red dirt, there was a sense of how big Australia is, our culture, and the incredible privilege. And quite frankly, not for the first time during this campaign, or indeed, during my life when having contact with Indigenous Australians, it’s a humbling experience. I find the patience of Marion and Noel and other Indigenous Australians inspiring. When you look at the gaps which are there, with four out of 19 on target, some of what they have had to put up with on a personal level, my friend Linda Burney, who’s experienced hardship in her life, the likes of which most Australians couldn’t comprehend. It so generous, warm, loving. Noel has spoken during this campaign a lot about love. And this is a campaign about love for our fellow Australians, and about respect. But it’s also about love of ourselves, whether we have the courage to love what Australia is. It isn’t something that began when a few ships came in in 1788. This is Australia, that fullness and richness of our history. So I think we can do something for ourselves as well. I think that’s why it is so important. But I found last night to be an incredibly humbling experience. The fact that the song that the women were singing was about rising up to the occasion. Australians can rise to this occasion. We are a great country, we are the greatest country on earth will be a little bit greater if we wake up on Sunday having recognised the first Australians and having said that we want to listen to them about matters that effect them. And there’s no downside. It will be like the Apology to the Stolen Generations. People will wonder what the fear campaign was about. If No is successful, I’m sure there will be some people in future years, given that No is not presenting any alternative plan. There is no alternative plan being presented here, just more of the same. And I’m sure that in a few years time we’ll have people say that they regret their actions during this period. It’s very clear what the words are that have been proposed to the Australian people. And can I just say, I respect the right of people to vote whatever way they see fit in a democracy. But vote on the basis of what words are there, not on the basis of some of the fear campaigns that have been run.
JOURNALIST: Is there a moment there last night, during that ceremony, when you contemplated what a No vote would mean?
PRIME MINISTER: A No vote is where we are now. We’re in No. An eight-year life expectancy gap, a greater chance of an Indigenous young male going to jail than university. We can do better. This is such a gracious request. The quite frankly absurd debate about the length of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. It’s there. There was a process, thousands of people were involved in meetings all around the country. 250 people, including Noel and Marion came here to determine that final position. I do have it on my wall in my office. I think it’s inspiring words. And I can’t see how any Australian who read those words can be anything other than moved by its generosity. When it speaks as it does about becoming the torment of our powerlessness: those three words, torment of our powerlessness. It is something that is real. And it’s something that we must continue to walk forward on. And that’s what the request is.
JOURNALIST: (Inaudible).
PRIME MINISTER: There isn’t a single indigenous leader, whether they’ve been here or in Garma – last night, the the head of the Central Land Council said thank you for the conviction that we’ve shown. I’m a conviction politician. I believe in this. This isn’t something of convenience. Convenience is kicking it down the road. That’s what’s happened for a long period of time. We’ve been talking about constitutional recognition for decades. John Howard was talking about it, went to elections. Scott Morrison went to an election promising to advance this. He appointed Ken Wyatt, a great Australian, as his Minister for Indigenous Affairs. Ken has reflected that it wasn’t advanced. I’ve responded to a request from Indigenous Australians to hold this referendum with Yes, and I hope that Australians respond by voting Yes. I’ve said very early on in this, I’m sure the Broncos regret their their 20 minutes in the Grand Final that they didn’t quite get there. But guess what? It was a better outcome than if they’d not run on the field and forfeited. That’s what’s been happening. Peter Dutton said to me in March in my office, while Indigenous leaders were in the room next door waiting for us to do the press conference that was held in July, would you delay it? What do you say to Tom Calma and Noel Pearson, Marion Scrymgour and Linda Burney. These people who have done for decades, they have given up their lives trying to improve the lives of their fellow Indigenous Australians and doing that, not just for them, doing it for our whole nation. What do you say to them? Pretty easy to say we’re going to hold a referendum and do it, quite frankly. The people who have made an effort here, our friends from the Central Land Council who are here. No one, no one, not a single person has said to me, ‘Maybe we should kick this can down the road’. This is an opportunity. This is an opportunity for Australians to say Yes. And I believe that when you say you’re going to do something, you should do it. I said that we’d do something right here at this spot with Linda Burney when I became Labor Leader. I was urged to do so. And it was right to do so. Thanks very much.
Can I just say something about another issue. The Australian Government has received confirmation of the tragic death of Galit Carbone, an Australian citizen murdered in the attacks on Israel by the terrorist group Hamas. Our sympathies go to the family, and loved ones of Ms Carbone. We wanted to make sure that everyone was properly informed before making any public statement. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to her family in Israel, but also here in Australia. We unequivocally condemn these atrocities and the attacks on innocent civilians that occurred from Hamas on the weekend. And we express our sincere condolences to the family.