NAIDOC Week march Darwin

Good morning, I acknowledge the Larrakia mob, our wonderful Larrakia Elders and the Larrakia people. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Larrakia, for welcoming us to your Country and for walking with you this morning. Look at the crowd.

Thousands, thousands, thousands and thousands. A big shout out to all of you. You know what that is?

That's a testament to the strength and endurance of First Nations families, allies, supporters and those who want to see a really strong future and present day for families across the Northern Territory and Australia. A huge shout out to Larrakia Nation for coordinating today and all of the events during NAIDOC Week here in Darwin. I've been to quite a few of them and I'm sure many of you have too.

It really is a time to come together in our country, right across Australia, to say we are still here as First Nations families. We are strong. We are proud.

And we love this country. Coming together this week, everywhere I look, right around every state and territory jurisdiction, there has been enormous strength and pride of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. Because we know in our country today, we have to speak up, and we have to stay united.

We have to stay united together, because there are forces out there that want to separate and cause division and angst and anxiety. So today, celebrate, wherever you are. A lot more kindness and love.

I’ve just come from Borroloola, my home community, where we just had a lot of sorry business. Still sorry business going. And I think of all our families who continually have sorry business, right across the Northern Territory.

Let today be a day where you feel the love of so many others around you. And the strong spirits to keep us going and keep us proud. We still have a lot of work to do, especially with the high rates of incarceration of our kids and our people right here in the Northern Territory.

We've still got to look at the fact that more kids are being removed. First Nations children, not just here, but around the country. There is a hell of a lot more work to do.

And that is incumbent on all state and territory governments to work together on that, but it's not easy. This is where the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sector and the organisations, I just want to thank you, every single one of you. Activists, advocacy groups, your push and your determination is what brings everyone here today.

All the groups who apply that pressure, it is important to keep that pressure. Even on me, even on the federal government. Because the only way a democracy works in this country is when people stand up and say what you need to say.

For an effective democracy to work; your views, your beliefs, should be heard. It's 50 years of NAIDOC, but it's also 50 years of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act in the Northern Territory, where nearly half the landmass of the Northern Territory has been won under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act. The first people to go for land, under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act, were the Yanyuwa in Borroloola.

But there's still so many problems. How is it that we have so much land and still so much poverty and despair? And that is the work that I continue to do with Aboriginal organisations here in the Northern Territory, in particular, the Land Councils, and I acknowledge them.

But more importantly, the Aboriginal Community Controlled sector. In health, in education. In business; the Indigenous business community.

That's the group we've got to keep pushing forward now. So, in this next 50 years, it’s all these little ones now. They're going to have a different story to tell and they don't have to fight for Country and fight back for Country.

They've got to thrive on Country. And be strong and keep flourishing on Country. So, families, wherever you are, enjoy today.

Look out for one another and care for one another. We really need to have some happiness today, hey? Yo, Bauji Barra.

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