Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Manager of Opposition Business from moving the following motion forthwith:

That the House:

(1) notes that:

  (a) yesterday, the Government introduced legislation amending the Native Title Act;

  (b) the Government has had six months notice that legislation of this type might be required and has taken no action until this week; and

  (c) the Leader of the House has given notice of his intention to force this bill through all stages of debate before 2 pm today;

(2) affirms the effect of the Government's approach means that Members of the House will be compelled to vote on a change to the Native Title Act without having had a chance to conduct any consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities;

(3) condemns the Prime Minister for condoning a failure to consult with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in the same week where he quoted the words of Chris Sarra "Do things with us, not to us"; and

(4) calls on the Government to abandon this approach and allow time for proper consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

When the Native Title Bill came to this parliament originally, there were—

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