Littleproud, David MP

Mr LITTLEPROUD (Maranoa—Leader of the Nationals) (14:17): I associate myself with the beautiful words of the minister, the Prime Minister and the opposition leader. On behalf of the National Party, I pay our honour and respect to Dr Lowitja O'Donoghue: a mother, an aunty, a nurse, a survivor, a leader, an inspiration and a great Australian. As the Minister for Indigenous Australians said yesterday, Australians should know her life story because Lowitja dedicated her entire lifetime to working to advance the rights, health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It was a life marked by challenges and early tragedy. But Lowitja was someone who, through remarkable strength and perseverance, would ultimately showcase a life that was defined by love, hope and resilience. These chapters in her story reverberate throughout regional Australia and make her an icon in the bush. But, of course, this is a story that starts by calling our past out: a terrible chapter in our history. As we know, she was born on a cattle station in far north South Australia and was removed from her mother at two years of age. She did not see her mum again for over 30 years. Forbidden to speak her language, Lowitja was given a birthday and the name Lois. As she grew up, she fought the institutions to gain admission as a trainee nurse, which was remarkable because, shamefully, we know that there was a policy of not accepting Aboriginal nurses at the time. As a trainee she worked hard to overcome racism and became the Royal Adelaide Hospital's first Aboriginal nurse. Throughout her life, Lowitja was disciplined and fearless. In her own words, she once said: We must be fearless in our work for the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and. Torres Strait people. And she was right: we must be fearless if we're to close the gap. It was this approach which guided her life and which empowered her to achieve so much and become a lady of so many firsts: the first Aboriginal person to head a government department; she was the inaugural chair of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission; the first Aboriginal woman to be inducted into the Order of Australia; and the first Aboriginal Australian to address the UN. Sitting opposite former Prime Minister Keating in the first negotiations between an Australian government and Aboriginal people, she famously changed the course of our nation. As she fittingly said 'we have to solve our differences and live together as Australians … Together, we can build a remarkable country, the envy of the rest of the world.' I'd like to finish by reading a small section from a family statement following her passing: Our Aunty and Nana was the Matriarch of our family, whom we have loved and looked up to our entire lives. We adored and admired her when we were young and have grown up full of never-ending pride as she became one of the most respected and influential Aboriginal leaders this country has ever known. … … … We thank her for being a formidable leader who was never afraid to listen, speak and act. Always with strength, determination, grace, and dignity. And so it was, after a life highlighted by so many achievements, that on 4 February Dr O'Donoghue died peacefully, at the age of 91, with her family by her side. Her legacy will live on through her foundation. News of her passing touched the other side of the world. A headline on the BBC fittingly read 'Lowitja O'Donoghue, Indigenous leader who changed Australia'. She was truly a great Australian and she did change this country for the better. May she rest in peace.