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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 530 asked in the Legislative Assembly on 18 August 2022 by Ms S.E. Winton

Parliament: 41 Session: 1

ABORIGINAL CULTURAL CENTRE

530. Ms S.E. WINTON to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs:

I refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment to delivering a world-class Aboriginal cultural centre for Western Australia.

(1) Can the minister outline to the house the role of the Whadjuk Aboriginal Cultural Centre project authority in choosing the site of the new Aboriginal cultural centre?

(2) Can the minister advise the house whether he is aware of anyone who does not support the involvement of Aboriginal people in choosing the site for this significant cultural facility?

Dr A.D. BUTI replied:

(1)–(2) I thank the member for Wanneroo for the question. She has been instrumental in the whole process and I would like to thank her for her role in this.

Just before I get onto the question, the Leader of the Opposition criticised the Premier for not being at a union rally, when last week the member for Roe said that anyone who was a union representative and ended up being a High Court judge would be barred from being an independent monitor. So do not go on about the Premier not being at a union rally when you do not believe in unions. I will get onto the question.

Point of Order

Several members interjected.

The SPEAKER: Sorry, do not say anything just yet. Points of order are heard in silence.

Mr R.S. LOVE: I do not understand the relevance of the answer that has been given by the minister, and I ask that he be drawn back to the question he was asked.

Several members interjected.

The SPEAKER: It seems that about 20 people want to give me their opinion on the point of order, or maybe they just want to give it to the opposition. I do not see that as a point of order to be upheld; and, minister, I do ask you to address your comments to the question that was asked.

Questions without Notice Resumed

Dr A.D. BUTI: Thank you, Madam Speaker. The member for Wanneroo, along with the Minister for Culture and the Arts, myself, and the federal member for Perth, joined the Premier earlier in the week when we announced the site of the Aboriginal cultural centre. It was an absolutely fantastic occasion, as the member will remember. The member asked about how the site was selected. For the first time for a major state government project, we actually engaged six cultural representatives who were appointed as members of the steering committee to oversee the project that the member has had great involvement with. They are known as the Whadjuk ACC project cultural authority. They are representatives of their community. They had a gathering of over 80 Whadjuk elders last December, and they were elected to be the authority. As the cultural representatives on the committee, they were asked to consider six sites or different locations near the Swan River, or Derbarl Yerrigan. The selection of sites went through a very extensive cultural investigation and consultation process and was endorsed by the wider Whadjuk reference group for the project.

As members know, Barry Winmar is part of that cultural authority. I want to quote from his speech at the announcement of the site. Barry Winmar thanked the Western Australian and Australian governments for ensuring Aboriginal people had a strong voice and were represented in the selection process. I want to quote some of the things that he said —

the site � is very significant to Whadjuk people. And the site selection has been a complex process. And I would like to � congratulate my fellow members —

Of the cultural advice committee.

As members of this cultural advice committee, we went through an election process and we were selected and endorsed by the broader Whadjuk community � It's the first time in a long time that Aboriginal people have got a voice at high level of government � in a way that really exemplifies what � Aboriginal culture is about in Western Australia � my ancestors walked these trails in years gone by and it's a tribute to them to showcase the location and being a host for all those Aboriginal cultures across � Australia.

That was from Barry Winmar, which I think is a testament to the process that was followed by this government.

Anyone would think this would be a day of celebration, given the location and the process that we went through, but in the Legislative Council, the chief bloviater, the pompous empty vessel that is known as Hon Neil Thomson —

Several members interjected.

The SPEAKER: Order, members, particularly the member for Fremantle! Points of order are heard in silence.

Point of Order

Dr D.J. HONEY: Madam Speaker, members in this place are not to make personal references of that nature about members in the other place. I would ask for your ruling on the matter.

The SPEAKER: I did not hear anything that I thought was out of order. If you want to draw my attention to what you particularly found offensive, you are welcome to. Otherwise, I will ask the minister to continue.

Dr D.J. HONEY: Calling him pompous and other insults.

The SPEAKER: I think there are a lot of people who have called other members pompous over the years. I am not aware of any of those points of order being upheld.

Questions without Notice Resumed

Dr A.D. BUTI: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The pompous Hon Neil Thomson launched into a strikingly unsophisticated attack on the consultative process. He labelled the decision ''cavalier adhockery'' and claimed the centre would become ''a white elephant'' that would struggle to ''attract visitation and activation due to its unplanned location''. Does the member know where it is? It is behind the Perth Concert Hall, near the Swan River, the Supreme Court Gardens and the Supreme Court.

Mr W.J. Johnston: And Government House.

Dr A.D. BUTI: It is near Government House. I am not sure how that will be out of the way for people to go and visit. More importantly, it has cultural significance to the Whadjuk people; it was chosen by them.

But we know the Liberal Party has form. We can go back to Richard Court's decision to instigate the Land (Titles and Traditional Usage) Act 1993, which was challenged in the High Court of Australia. The High Court justices decided it was racially discriminatory, 7–0. But we do not have to go that far back, because we have Hon Tjorn Sibma. I think the Minister for Planning talked about his auditioning for ''The Clan''. He is always auditioning for something, trying to get a new headline every day. He actually criticised the Dreamtime game. Member for Roe, you would not do that, would you? You would not criticise the Dreamtime game.

Mr P.J. Rundle: No, I wouldn't.

Dr A.D. BUTI: No. The member for Roe was there last year with me, when we saw the great spectacle at the Optus Stadium. It is an absolutely fantastic game that is held every year. I have never heard anyone criticise it—except Hon Tjorn Sibma. It is disgraceful behaviour by the Liberal Party. I am sure its alliance partners would not agree with the comment by Hon Neil Thomson. Would you agree with that? Silence. I will take silence as —

The SPEAKER: Minister, I counsel you to put your argument rather than ask questions of those opposite.

Dr A.D. BUTI: Okay, I will.

Usually in politics when someone does not agree with something that is quite disgraceful, they call it out. There is silence from the Leader of the Opposition on Hon Neil Thomson's disgraceful statement about the process that led to the location of the Aboriginal cultural centre. She has an obligation. She has a challenge to come out and criticise it or be taken to be agreeing with that disgraceful comment by Hon Neil Thomson.

Several members interjected.

The SPEAKER: Order, please!