Acts Interpretation Amendment (Aboriginality) Bill 2023

The large majority voted against giving this bill a first reading. In other words, they did not want to consider the bill at all and have rejected it.

Note that this is the second time this vote has been taken, with this same motion previously introduced and rejected on 11 May 2023.

This time around, it had the support of four senators: Queensland Senators Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts (both from One Nation) and Tasmanian Senators Jacqui Lambie and Tammy Tyrell (both from the Jacqui Lambie Network).

What does the bill do?

The bill would change the definition of an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person in the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 by adding the following section:

2N Person of the Aboriginal race of Australia , indigenous inhabitant of the Torres Strait Islands, etc.

(1) In any Act, a reference to a person of the Aboriginal race of Australia, to a member of the Aboriginal race of Australia or to a descendant of an indigenous inhabitant of Australia is a reference to a person who is a member of a registered native title body corporate (within the meaning of the Native Title Act 1993 ) that holds the native title rights and interests of an area of land or waters other than in the Torres Strait.

(2) In any Act, a reference to a descendant of an indigenous inhabitant of the Torres Strait Islands is a reference to a person who is a member of a registered native title body corporate (within the meaning of the Native Title Act 1993 ) that holds the native title rights and interests of an area of land or waters in the Torres Strait.

Its purpose seems to be to ensure that only those Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people who are members of a "registered native title body corporate" that currently holds Native Title to an area of land or water will count as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person for the purposes of federal law.

See this Report (4.2 MB) from the National Native Title Tribunal for maps that give an indication of just how many people would not be covered by this definition, given the limited amount of Native Title held over areas in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, as well as throughout the other states and territories.