Ms HOARE (1:58 PM) —As I have only got a moment or so before question time, I would like to foreshadow that I will be speaking after the MPI today on this bill before the parliament, the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Amendment Bill (No. 2) 1999 .

Traditionally, amendment bills move forward and not backward. Traditionally, amendment bills strengthen policy areas and not weaken, attack and destroy areas of existing policy. In its usual dogmatic way, this government has seen fit to go the other way. It has used this amendment bill to weaken rather than strengthen land rights in the Northern Territory.

Another example of amendment bills being used to weaken and attack and destroy traditional rights is the current workplace relations amendment bill before this parliament and due to be debated this week. The workplace relations amendment bill is a further attack aimed at weakening and destroying workers' traditional rights in this country. But that is another bill to be debated at another time in this place.

I am pleased, though, to finally have the opportunity to speak against this land rights bill. This bill was introduced into the House of Representatives on 30 March 1999. Minister Ruddock in his second reading speech stated that this bill corrects an error made previously when the Elliott stockyards were included in schedule 1 of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory)Act.

Mr SPEAKER —Order! It being 2 p.m., the debate is interrupted in accordance with standing order 101A. The debate may be resumed at a later hour, and the member will have leave to continue speaking when the debate is resumed.