Marion Scrymgour (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Indigenous Australians. Constitutional recognition through a voice to parliament started with Indigenous Australians. How is the government delivering on the aspirations of First Nations people as expressed in the Uluru Statement from the Heart?

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

I thank the member for Lingiari for her question. She understands, as many do, that today is a big day—as big as Uluru—because today the Senate has passed the Constitution alteration bill without amendment. This is the final hurdle to holding a referendum later this year on constitutional recognition through the Voice. The race to recognition is on. We are one step closer to finally recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our nation's founding document, one step closer to giving a voice to Indigenous Australians. Today the political debate ends, and we can start a national conversation at the community level about what the Voice is, why it is needed and how it will make a practical difference.

I want to acknowledge today our famous Essendon legend in the gallery, Michael Long, who joins us here. Thank you for your advocacy, Michael, ahead of the referendum. As you say, the Voice will have a ripple effect of change for the better. I also acknowledge representatives from Darwin in the gallery. To those Australians who want to know more, I say this: the Voice is a huge opportunity to take Australia forward. It is our chance to do something practical that can help us close the gap. Last week we saw new data. Four of the 19 targets are on track—just four. Life expectancy is not on track. Indigenous babies born at a healthy birth weight is not on track. Indigenous people finishing year 12 is not on track. If we needed any more evidence that more of the same isn't good enough, this is it. We have to do things better, and that's where the Voice to Parliament can help.

A resource of local knowledge, it will be chosen by Aboriginal people. It will be about health, education and housing—things that directly affect Aboriginal people. But, instead of listening, we've spent years and probably billions of dollars on poor outcomes. This is the chance to change that. This is about listening and recognition. Let's fulfil the promise of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Let's make 2023 the year of the Voice. Let's vote 'yes' to recognition, unify this country, grow it up and make us all proud to be Australians.