Parliament Updates

1 July 2024

On seven July NAIDOC Week begins across Australia, celebrating and recognising the history, culture, and achievements of our First Nations people. I would like to start by acknowledging and paying my respects to the Ngunnawal and Ngambri Elders of the Canberra region where parliament gathers and traditional Elders all around Australia. The theme for this year's NAIDOC week is Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud, and Proud. Fire is a symbol of connection to country, to each other, and to the traditions and cultures that define our First Nations people. To celebrate NAIDOC Week in Warringah there will be First Nations music, dance, art, and storytelling workshops as well as film screenings run by local councils. Whilst last year's result in the constitutional recognition was disappointing, we cannot further our national journey of reconciliation if we do not listen, engage, and reflect, and I know that Warringah takes this issue to heart as our community overwhelmingly voted in support for constitutional recognition. My office continues to progress reconciliation by implementing a Reconciliation Action Plan and it will be focused on four core pillars to provide tangible benefits to our First Nations people in the electorate of Warringah: relationships, respect, opportunities, and governance. And I encourage all business and other parliamentarians and organisations in Warringah to do the same and enact a Reconciliation Action Plan.