Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Indeed. 'Makarrata' is a Yolngu word—the Yolngu are the people who host the Garma Festival each year—for a coming together after struggle. No-one can say there hasn't been a struggle in this country with Indigenous Australians when you have Closing the Gap at that point. Coming together means actually sitting down and discussing the issues of how we move forward together. Those opposite might want to seek to continue to have division. What I'm seeking to do—and I spoke at the Garma Festival about economic empowerment—is to search, along with the new Minister for Indigenous Affairs, for ways in which we can come together. That is what makarrata is: coming together. I seek for Australians to come together in order to advance the interests of Indigenous Australians, and I invite those opposite to stop with the attempts to divide and try to come together in order to close the gap, because that is our objective.

During the referendum that was held last year, I was asked a range of questions on multiple occasions. I was asked whether the Voice would affect interest rates, defence bases, nuclear powered subs and a whole range of issues. I was also asked about treaty, and at that I continually indicated the same answer. I referred to the same answer before the referendum as afterwards: that that is not the focus that we have. (Time expired)

See this speech in context