Opposition to the Voice to Parliament

Last week I joined my federal Nationals colleagues to oppose the proposal to establish an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament. We believe the Voice is just a symbolic form of legislation that will only further divide our communities along the lines of race, rather than uniting them.

I know this decision will be disappointing for many people in my electorate, and I am open to hearing from both sides, however the respected Indigenous leaders and community members I have spoken to so far are concerned about The Voice and how their communities will be represented.

I have been representing the Aboriginal communities of the Parkes electorate for the last 15 years and have built relationships with many people within these communities over time. I am passionate about improving the lives of Aboriginal people in practical ways.

I do not see the proposal to introduce more bureaucracy into the mix as a way forward. What we have seen work for communities in the Parkes electorate are practical measures such as increasing employment for Indigenous people, supporting Aboriginal enterprise and getting behind organisations that are making a tangible difference at a grassroots level. These practical approaches are what I support and will continue to advocate for.

I remain supportive of recognising Indigenous Australians in the Constitution; however the proposed Voice to Parliament as it stands has the potential to cause more problems than it solves, especially given the diversity and complexity of voices within Aboriginal communities. At this stage I am not convinced that Labor’s current proposal will deliver what it promises. In the meantime, I remain committed to listening to all of my constituents as this matter progresses.

Visa delays causing great distress

The workforce shortage is the single biggest issue currently facing the Parkes electorate, so we must do everything we can to keep and attract workers.

However, dozens of skilled migrants who are already living and working in our regions have been waiting as long as 24 months for their visas to be approved, because of a new Ministerial Direction which prioritises offshore permanent and provisional visa applications.

Since this Ministerial Direction came into effect in October, I’ve noticed a significant rise in the number of 887 and 491 visa applicants contacting my office about the delays in processing times. These are people who are keen to stay and settle down in our beautiful part of the world but are unable to work in their chosen field or buy a house because they are living in limbo.

This is causing a great deal of stress and uncertainty for these people, and some are even sadly leaving our areas because they simply can’t get visas.

This is just not good enough.

I am calling on the Labor government to prioritise onshore skilled regional visa applications to provide certainty to local families and help keep skilled migrants in our regional areas.