Ms LEY (Farrer—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (09:06): I'm honoured to rise on behalf of the opposition to acknowledge and express our deep and sincere regret at the passing of the Indigenous rights activist Alfred Neal. Alfred Neal was truly one of our greats, a man who will loom large in Australian history for the important work he did throughout his life. He led the way for change for Indigenous Australians. His contribution to Australian society as we know it today will not soon be forgotten. Alfred dedicated a large portion of his life to causes for the betterment of Indigenous Australians, to make this country a better place for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Born west of Cairns into traditional tribal life, he was taken as a baby to the Church of England mission at Yarrabah. As a young man, he worked in the cane fields before becoming involved with the union movement in the locality of Cairns. Alfred was essential to successfully negotiating higher wages for Indigenous cutters in the cane fields. It was here he earned a nickname that would stick: 'the bush lawyer'. By the 1960s he had respect of many and was one of the leading minds and architects of the 1967 referendum. More than 50 years ago, Ruth Hennings sat with Alfred Neal day after day, under the 'tree of knowledge' in Yarrabah, near Cairns, planning the protest movement across Queensland's north that helped bring the beginnings of equality for Aboriginal Australians. It was Alfred Neal, alongside Ruth Wallace Hennings, who led the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advancement League to win support for the 1967 referendum, enabling laws for Indigenous people and including them in the census. That referendum marked an important moment in our country's history, ushering in an important era of social and political change. Alfred Neal's work contributing to that referendum led to the most successful referendum in our country's history. Ms Hennings, 85, and Mr Neal, 94, were reunited when they were awarded Order of Australia Medals for services to the Indigenous community in 2019, marking their achievements as among the most outstanding in our country's history. In 1977 Alfred Neal was a successful candidate elected to the National Aboriginal Conference. In 2019 Alfred told the Australian newspaper that he was glad to be recognised for his work in the referendum campaign and in Yarrabah but said there was still a lot of work that needed to be done to bridge the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and to improve relations. I couldn't agree more. Alfred Neal will remain one of Australia's most important figures in the Indigenous rights movement. He fought for the advancement of all Indigenous Australians. He should be remembered for the incredible work he achieved. I sincerely hope that he is. Once again, I pay my respects and those of the opposition in this place.