E&OE….
Topics: 30th Anniversary of the hand-over of Uluru, entitlements
GREG HUNT:
Look, I'm honoured and delighted to be here at Uluru-Kata Tjuta with Senator Jo Lindgren. Uluru is a sacred site for the Anangu, it's an iconic site for Indigenous Australia and it's at the heart of our self and landscape for all of Australia. Today is about bringing the past, the present and the future together. We are running to commemorate 30 years of hand back.
We are running to celebrate what's occurring here in Mutitjulu and the transformation. And we are running as part of Robert De Castella's Indigenous Marathon Project to lay down a pathway for Indigenous health and futures. So it's the past, present and the future, here at the centre of Australia, in front of one of Australia's greatest icons.
And for us to be here is an honour. It's a bipartisan event with Jo Lindgren and myself. Jo is the great-niece of the great Australian Neville Bonner. Senator Nova Peris, an Olympian, an Olympic gold medallist and a proud Indigenous leader as well. Stephen Jones, representing the east coast. And so in the company of Rob de Castella and Nova Peris I naturally feel at home. Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Olympic gold medallist, winner of the under 12 best batting award for Baden Powell.
This is one of the great joys and great responsibilities. We have tremendous Indigenous ranger programs to help young indigenous Australians. We have engagement in the management here of the park, but it's their land, their park, we are guests on their country, and it's an extraordinary privilege. I'll get Jo just to say a few things and then we'll take questions.
JO LINDGREN:
It is an honour and a privilege to be welcomed to these traditional lands, these beautiful traditional lands. And as a Mununjali Jagera woman it is especially an honour to be invited by the Anangu people to these lands, and I'm really looking forward to participating in the relay race today.
JOURNALIST:
How important was it for you that this was a bipartisan team that you ran in to recognise the 30th anniversary of the hand back?
GREG HUNT:
I think it's essential that it is bipartisan. Nova Peris asked me if we could make it out, and we had other things and I really did everything I could to be here, to have Jo Lindgren here, Nova Peris, to have Stephen here. These things together show that it's about the Australian parliament, and Uluru has a history of support from both sides of parliament, but at the end of the day it's an Australian site, it's an Indigenous site, and it's an Anangu site.
JOURNALIST:
How important do you consider that event 30 years ago nearly, when the site was handed back?
GREG HUNT:
Look, I think, along with the Indigenous Referendum in 1967, with the Wave Rock, this is one of the three great events in Australian-Indigenous advancement.
JOURNALIST:
Now, I want to ask about Bronwyn Bishop, with the travel expenditure she' been going through – $5,000 for a helicopter, $300,000 I think on travel in a year. Isn't that just ridiculously extravagant?
GREG HUNT:
Look, I won't comment on the other elements, because I'm not aware of the detail. I do know that she's conceded that the funds should be paid back, and that comes with the penalty. I think it's appropriate that it's repaid, and I think that she's recognised that it wasn't appropriate, that's why she's paying it back.
JOURNALIST:
Isn't it difficult for this Government to push the line that the age of entitlement is over, when there are members of the Government who are spending this kind of money just to travel to a Liberal Party fundraiser?
GREG HUNT:
We all have to be exceptionally careful with taxpayers' funds. It is an honour and a privilege to be a member of the national parliament, and we have deep responsibilities. That's why she is taking the step of paying back the funds, but we have to abide, not just by the law, but by the spirit and the intent of good governance and so there's a strong message here.
JOURNALIST:
So-but when it comes back to that age of entitlement, I mean, there is the question over whether it was actually okay to do according to the rules, but when you're telling people that the age of entitlement is over, how do you- I mean, is it actually possible to justify that kind of spending?
GREG HUNT:
Well I think it's absolutely clear that there's a view that this is something that should have been repaid, and clearly the acceptance of everybody is it's not something that should have occurred.
JOURNALIST:
I mean, is it surprising that this occurred so soon after the Prime Minister himself opted to pay back some of his travel fees, that there are other members that are still racking up those kind of travel bills?
GREG HUNT:
Look, I think I've made some pretty clear and strong statements.
JOURNALIST:
How can this Government actually justify that kind of spending when there are welfare cuts being made?
GREG HUNT:
Well the funding is being paid back. Clearly, categorically, absolutely. And with a penalty attached.
JOURNALIST:
But the original intention was that it would be picked up by the taxpayer.
GREG HUNT:
Well, look, I'll let the Speaker make statements on her own behalf. But what's clear here is that the funds are being repaid and that's because it clearly wasn't, in the end, a justifiable position.
JOURNALIST:
Okay, thank you very much.
GREG HUNT:
It's a pleasure.
(ENDS)