Malarndirri McCarthy, Patrick Dodson, Linda Burney and Warren Snowdon reflect on the closing of the Uluru climb.
MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY, NT SENATOR: Hello, we're here on Anangu country and we've come to pay our respects to theAnangu traditional owners, to the people who live here and we thank them fortheir invitation on this special ceremony on the closure of the climb, an important day not only for the people here but indeed for First Nations people right across Australia and for allAustralians.
WARREN SNOWDON, MEMBER FOR LINGIARI: As someone I was here 35 years 7 ago recalling the great celebrationthere was when the Governor General Ninian Stephen transferred the title tothe local community who then leased it back immediately to the Commonwealth as a National Park for the benefit of all Australians and to think about thosemany traditional owners who struggle forso long to get that recognition and will today be very very pleased that finally the minga juta, the many ants, all those tourists, are no longer climbingthis very very important sacred site.
PATRICK DODSON, WA SENATOR:Thank you to the board for yourcourage and your respect for Anangu culture, for law and respecting thewishes of the Anangu people andmaking sure that Anangu spirituality and custodianship of this great icon isthere not only to respect our cultureand our spiritual values but to bestill made available for all Australians.
LINDA BURNEY, MEMBER FOR BARTON: I feel very privileged to be here with Malarndirri, the Senator for the NorthernTerritory, Warren Snowden the member
for Lingiari and with Patrick Dodson aSenator from Western Australia but bothWarren and Patrick played such an important role in the original hand back. This is where the Uluru Statement two years ago was formulated and it's whywe're here today - or one of the reasons we're here today as the Labor Partysupporting that statement but also asMalarndirri, Warren and Patrick said paying our respect for the Anangu and this incredible moment in the Australianstory.
TRANSCRIPT - 27 OCTOBER 2019
