Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister
The work the Committee for Perth does is vital.
Some of you know that I sent your Boorloo Kworp 'Perth is Good' report to all of my Labor colleagues after its release.
So it is appropriate that I speak to you this week.
A week where Perth and WA are truly on the national agenda.
A week where we had 20 ministers here in WA.
We hosted the first Cabinet meeting ever in regional Western Australia.
And my colleagues saw first-hand the WA economy in full force.
From the Prime Minister's visit to announce New Energy Apprenticeships in East Perth.
To Cabinet meeting in the Port Hedland shipping control tower.
But back here to Perth.
Family Friendly City
The most family friendly city in Australia.
That is my vision for Perth.
The city where visitors can't wait to return.
To bring their families.
To become the newest advocates for our isolated ocean oasis.
The place where you can have a once in a lifetime experiences every time you visit.
There has never been more technology to show off holiday destinations.
Instagram reels.
Facebook stories.
Youtube.
Tiktok - and whatever it is that it actually creates.
Yet all this technology has actually made word of mouth more important than ever.
It is how we get more people to our beautiful city.
Already, it is made up of people that have chosen to be here.
54 per cent of the population of the City of Perth weren't born here.
They were not born in Australia.
They made the decision to come here.
Greater Perth is on track to be home to more than 3.5 million people.
Becoming Australia's third largest city.
We Decide Perth's Future
We are at an important moment.
Global competition for skills, talent and workforce is immense.
As your Race to the Top Report from last year showed, skills shortages is one of the biggest challenges facing many WA businesses.
Each of us must put thought into what sort of place we want our growing city to be.
And how we best attract more people here.
My view is the most effective way we can do this is by becoming proudly the most family friendly city in Australia.
It is the magic ingredient for tourism, workforce recruitment and for quality of life.
It must be our new strategic objective.
Underpinning every decision we make about our capital.
There is appeal in this vision for everyone.
Investors.
Visitors.
Governments.
Each of us.
A goal we can all get behind.
All understand.
All be proud of the results.
Already, we have a number of critical elements feeding into this.
The WA Museum Boola Bardip is the biggest tourist attraction in our City.
Optus Stadium and RAC Arena: Both are more than world-class venues, they are easy to access for families and surrounded by activities.
Critical to the success of each of these has been our public transport system.
Accessible, reliable and expanding with METRONET.
And electrifying - with electric buses built here being driven here.
It is not all we are building.
There will be a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic near Royal Perth.
Metronet continues to stretch across the metropolitan area.
Our massive investment in childcare will make it cheaper and easier for parents to work in our cities.
The Housing Accord will increase the affordability and supply of housing.
Aboriginal Cultural Centre
We are also building an Aboriginal Cultural Centre.
A new landmark on the Derbal Yerrigan.
Something I have advocated for since 2019.
Now we have Federal, State and private sector support to get this done.
Because we need something big and bold.
A 21st Century, west coast answer to the Opera House.
It will not be another Bell Tower.
And the word "culture" is important.
The oldest continuous culture.
Right here.
This will not be an art museum.
It will be so much more.
Enriching each of us.
Transforming the understanding of human history for every visitor from wherever in the world they come.
Growing The West Coast Mindset
But our strategic objective must be more than new pieces of infrastructure.
It must be a shared way to plan the future of our capital.
It will align the decisions we all need to make.
Business, community and government.
Adding to our strong State and National tourism campaigns.
The West faces stiff competition.
Brisbane has the 2032 Olympics.
Sydney have already had theirs, but they still have the Bridge and the Opera House.
But Perth can compete.
On lifestyle, on being a welcoming city.
With more than 230,000 people working in and visiting our CBD every day, we must be welcoming for all.
Disneyland lives up to its promise of the happiest place on earth.
Perth has started the journey to be the most family friendly city on earth.
The Voice
Our nation has continued on an important journey too.
Of truth telling. Healing. Reconciliation.
This year we will have a referendum to enshrine an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice in the Constitution.
The Albanese government is committed to implementing the Uluru Statement from the Heart, in full.
It is a humble proposal.
A generous invitation that was sent in 2017.
An opportunity not to be missed in 2023.
The Voice is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to advance reconciliation and make serious progress on closing the gap.
The Voice will give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples a say on the laws and policies that affect them.
We know that when we listen to people on the ground, we get better outcomes.
The Voice is about two things: Recognition. Consultation.
It will be an advisory body.
Made up of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander Australians.
The Voice is about improving their lives.
In practical ways: health, education and housing.
It was the generous request of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
The culmination of the most extensive consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on Constitutional recognition in Australian history.
Australia is ready.
We have in front of us a once in a generation opportunity to make Australia better place.
For all of us.
I have the honour of serving on the Government's Constitutional Recognition Committee.
I have seen firsthand the detailed work going into the preparation.
Ensuring the information Australians need is available.
The Voice will give advice to parliament and government on the issues that affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
It will increase the quality of policy design.
It will help close the gap.
It is that simple.
Finally our nation's founding document will recognise the first Australians.
Without the Voice we can expect more of the same.
Years of failed laws and policies have not worked.
It is time to do things differently.
To deliver better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
The Voice is about listening to people on the ground.
Listening to those with experience in the community will help us make serious progress on closing the gap.
The Voice will be comprised of members chosen by their community.
It will include people of all ages from all over Australia.
It will not run programs or distribute funding.
It will not have veto powers over laws or policies.
But it will help us improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
We must have a referendum, because we must change our Constitution.
It is our founding document.
It sets out the principles of how we are governed.
WA And The Voice
Here in Perth and across Western Australia, we bring a unique perspective to the referendum.
I say this from personal experience.
I wrote about it this week in The West Australian.
Before I could walk, I marched for Aboriginal land rights.
Wendy and Ron, my mum and dad, would take me along in the pram to regular marches through the streets of Perth in the 1980s.
I was proud to use my voice for reconciliation.
And I am proud that of our state's recent history on the road to reconciliation.
A land of 45,000 years of continuous Aboriginal culture, has taken big steps towards acknowledging our Aboriginal history.
Each time it has brought the people and the politicians of our state closer together.
In 1997, the then Liberal-National WA government was the first in Australia to apologise for forced removal of Aboriginal children.
I commend Richard Court for this.
In 2015, the then Liberal-National WA government amended the WA constitution to recognise Aboriginal people.
A bipartisan moment for Colin Barnett and Mark McGowan, led by Josie Farrer.
Now, in 2023, the WA Labor government supports recognition and enshrining an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice in the Australian Constitution.
Premier McGowan has led with his support at National Cabinet.
The leadership of State Opposition leaders has been commendable too.
Our State is ready to take the next step in our proud recent history of reconciliation.
Western Australians have been making a significant contribution to the future of our nation.
Ken Wyatt is a member of the working group advising the government on the referendum, building on his leadership as a Coalition cabinet minister.
Senator Patrick Dodson is the Albanese government's Special Envoy for reconciliation, bringing a lifetime of experience to this critical role.
WA Greens Senator Dorinda Cox was announced as the Greens' new First Nations spokeswoman.
We are fortunate in WA to be guided across the political spectrum to the advancement of the Voice.
And it is not only the political spectrum where we are seeing Western Australians coming together to support the Voice.
From both the West Coast Eagles and the Fremantle Dockers - prominent members have been vocal supporters of the Voice.
Across industry.
Across our communities.
Every day we hear of more Australians committing their support.
That is the power of the Voice, it will bring Australians together for a better future.
Revive
The Federal Labor Government recognises the importance of our cities.
The cultural hubs they can be.
Whether it was Gough Whitlam or Paul Keating, Labor Prime Ministers have long recognised the crucial role of the arts.
It develops national identity, social cohesion and economic success.
The arts are essential to Australia's diplomatic efforts around the world
It is why we recently released Revive.
Our new National Cultural Policy.
It represents a new and exciting chapter for the future of the Australian story.
For almost a decade, the arts and entertainment sector in this country has been allowed to erode.
Revive has 5 guiding pillars:
- First nations first.
- A place for every story.
- The Centrality of the artist.
- Strong institutions.
- Reaching the audience.
At the heart of each is inclusion.
Our arts industries must include Australians of all demographics.
Urban and rural.
First generations Australians and members of our Indigenous community.
Our policy recognises that an artists is both a creator and a worker.
They contribute to our nation both culturally and economically.
We must ensure artists workplaces are safe.
Free of violence, discrimination and disrespect.
We want to deliver long-term career paths so our artists and entertainers.
We want them to spend their professional lives as creators.
Helping shape our cultural narrative.
A vibrant arts community is one that can span beyond local.
But to do this we need to prioritise Australian stories.
Across all mediums.
To give Australian creators a fighting chance to develop these industries and expand, to bring these opportunities to a place like Perth.
Places like Whiteman Park and the film studio to be located there.
This is how we get Australian creators on the global stage.
And how we showcase our Indigenous voices.
Revive will put First Nations first.
Recognising and respecting the crucial place of these stories at the heart of our arts and culture.
As part of Revive, the federal government will:
Legislate to protect First Nations knowledge and cultural expressions, including the harm caused by fake art.
Develop a First Nations creative workforce strategy.
Invest in a National Aboriginal Art Gallery in Alice Springs along with the Aboriginal Cultural Centre in Perth.
Provide $11 million to establish a First Nations Languages Policy Partnership between First Nations representatives and Australian governments.
With $286 million in dedicated funding over four years for the establishment of Creative Australia.
Close
In closing I want to thank you for the conversation today.
Sharing of ideas is important.
And the people in this room are the ones who turn ideas into action.
So that is what I am asking you to do.
To act.
One, embrace a new strategic vision for Perth: The most family friendly city in Australia.
Two, use your voice for the Voice. Do not let this opportunity pass us by.
Three, work with us to revive the arts across Western Australia. It is key to our cities.
Because none of us are passive observers.
There is so much we can achieve together.
And I am looking forward to hearing your ideas about the future of this place we are all so fortunate to call home.
Thank you.
