Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Indigenous Australians. What support does the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament have in our Australian community?

Linda Burney (Barton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I welcome news that the NRL formally supports an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament, and I'm glad to see that we've got some Dogs people up in the gallery. How are you? That's my team.

First Nations communities have deep bonds with rugby league and are part of the game's fabric at all levels. From Joel Thompson to Nicho Hynes, from Johnathan Thurston to the great Latrell Mitchell—

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

Don't forget GI.

Linda Burney (Barton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and GI, of course, the NRL would be unrecognisable today without the enormous contribution of Indigenous players. The NRL joins an amazing list, and the support is growing day by day: the NRL, the Australian Olympic Committee, Tennis Australia, the Collingwood Football Club, the West Coast Eagles football club, Carlton and Adelaide. The great Eddie Betts said:

It's a small step, but I think it's the right step, to have a Voice and be heard. I've taken the time over the past 12 months to speak to elders, community members and people I trust to get more information about the Voice.

  …   …   …

I feel like it's the opening of a pathway to make sure we're included and respected in decision-making on issues that affect us.

As Peter FitzSimons in the Herald wrote:

… if the Voice gets up with the support of Australian sport, it will be able to look back with pride in decades to come on the fact that it was on the right side of history—the way Peter Norman was at the Mexico Olympics supporting the black athletes on the podium…

It's not just the NRL. It's Qantas, Wesfarmers, Woolworths, the Law Council, the Business Council of Australia, the ACTU, FECCA, the Arab Council of Australia, the Imam Council of Australia, all state and territory first ministers, religious charities too numerous to mention, all churches, universities and, most importantly, tens and tens of thousands of individuals.

Can I just say that this will make a practical difference on the ground, and that's what the Voice will do. Over the next few months, thousands of conversations will happen across this country about what the Voice is and why it is needed now. It will make a difference. I know and I have absolute faith in the Australian people saying 'yes'.

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

After 28 questions I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.