Mr CHRIS HARTCHER (Terrigal) [4.00 p.m.]: With the conclusion of the trial of the former Labor Member for Swansea, Milton Orkopoulos, with a verdict of guilty it is now appropriate to reopen the case of further victims of Milton Orkopoulos, the Darkinjung people. It is now over a year since Mr Vandenburg and Mr Pross had their reputations destroyed in a dishonest and cowardly way by that convicted sexual predator and drug dealer—all under the see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil umbrella of the Australian Labor Party. On 19 October 2006 the former Minister for Aboriginal Affairs raised frivolous and vexatious claims against two former members of the Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council on the Central Coast, Mr Alan Vandenburg and Mr David Pross.

In an answer to a question without notice the convicted Orkopoulos referred to Mr Vandenburg and Mr Pross as failed directors and thieves. That statement about Mr Vandenburg and Mr Pross made under parliamentary privilege was false. Both Mr Vandenburg and Mr Pross are well-known and well-respected citizens of the Central Coast who have given a lifetime of commitment to Aboriginal welfare and advancement in New South Wales. For the disgraced former Minister to make such unsubstantiated claims against two people that do not have the right of reply is disgraceful. To make them against two well-known and well-respected citizens who were doing their utmost to advance the cause of the Aboriginal community is an even greater disgrace.

There was never any evidence of impropriety made or even alleged against Mr Vandenburg or Mr Pross. There was no evidence of their misappropriating a single cent of Darkinjung money. In fact, the Supreme Court finding was that the transfer of Darkinjung moneys from the Aboriginal Land Council to Darkinjung Pty Limited was simply ultra vires the rules, and there was no misappropriation of funds, nor were any funds missing. Instead of doing his job and supporting the Darkinjung people, and the hard work of involved Aboriginal members of the community like Mr Vandenburg and Mr Pross, Mr Orkopoulos defamed them and took $35 million of Darkinjung money. The Darkinjung council on the Central Coast was, until it was pulled apart, achieving great things. As Christine Walsh wrote in a letter to me about the achievements of the Darkinjung people before Orkopoulos intervened:

The Darkinjung people were well on their way to self-determination, implementing some wonderful projects and entities to look after their own what is more they were receiving accolades for them.

After he took their $35 million and sacked the directors of Darkinjung Pty Limited along with Mr Vandenburg and Mr Pross, Mr Orkopoulos then appointed a liquidator, Mr Peter Hillig of Smith and Hancock. Mr Hillig was a friend of Mr Orkopoulos and has since spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of the Darkinjung people's money in court cases chasing the directors of the trust, despite no findings by the court of any wrongdoing or guilt. I placed a question on notice on 1 April about an alleged trip Mr Hillig may have made to Vietnam with Mr Orkopolous when Mr Orkopolous was Minister. On 27 March Alex Mitchell, a former president of the Press Gallery in State Parliament, wrote an article for the electronic newsletter Crikey entitled, "The last act of Orkopoulos: skewering the Darkinjung". In it Alex Mitchell said:

On the surface, the NSW Labor Government promotes Aboriginal self-development but the Darkinjung story shows what happens to uppity black fellas who want to redeem themselves and get ahead like white folk.

Their cattle, housing and job training projects have been wound up on the say-so of a Minister who has been found guilty of heinous crimes against teenagers, giving them heroin and other drugs in return for sex.

If ever there was a case that deserved executive action to put right, a full judicial inquiry or public hearings by the Independent Commission Against Corruption, this is it. Instead, it's heading for a spot under the carpet or a perpetual burial place on the Supreme Court law list.

Now that the former Minister has been disgraced and his replacement is in office it is appropriate for the current Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Mr Paul Lynch, to re-examine this matter and clear the reputation of Mr Vandenburg and Mr Pross with a public apology, and return to the Darkinjung people the money that is rightfully theirs.