Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. On 97 occasions, the Prime Minister gave false hope to struggling Australian families and small businesses by promising before the election he would cut power bills by $275 annually, and now he pretends that he never said it. On 34 occasions, the Prime Minister told Australians he was committed to implementing the Uluru statement in full, which includes a treaty. In a train-wreck Radio National interview this morning, the Prime Minister was asked seven times whether he supported a treaty and seven times refused to give a direct answer. When will we hear a straight word from this Prime Minister?

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

The Treasurer will cease interjecting.

Honourable members interjectin g—

Order on my left and right. I'll hear from the Leader of the House.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order, Mr Speaker: questions are required to include a question, and that one, within the 30 seconds, didn't.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll deal with this. The problem I have is there's far too much noise in the chamber. It has accelerated at a rapid rate this week. I'm going to allow the question. If anyone goes over the time limit again, they will be sat down. I reiterate to the House that there must be silence while people are asking questions.

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

I did note the Leader of the Opposition's reference in an article today by that investigative journalist James Morrow. He had gone back to 1986—a time when Crocodile Dundee had just hit the theatres, most women didn't have paid maternity leave, and it was a crime in some states to be gay or lesbian and people were being jailed. And there was something else—terra nullius was still the law of the land. It was still the position that it was not acknowledged that there was ownership of the land prior to English people coming in 1788—terra nullius. In 1986 there was no Mabo decision, no native title and no Wik. Those opposite need to say whether that is still their position, because they were out there being critical about these issues. I am proud to have supported Aboriginal land rights in 1986 and been an advocate for social justice for First Nations people for four decades. I say to the Leader of the Opposition—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! There is far too much noise on my left. The member for Hume is warned. I just said that questions should be heard in silence. It goes the same for answers. The Prime Minister in continuation.

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

The Leader of the Opposition needs to spend less time on his dirt unit and more time in the red dirt of the Top End. I invite him to visit Garma on the weekend. I invite him to sit down with Indigenous Australians and talk with them—not talk to them and not talk at them but talk with them—about why they support and came up with the process of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, led of course by the great Yunupingu, who will be missing from this Garma festival. This is the major Indigenous cultural event in remote Australia. It will be on this weekend. I encourage the Leader of the Opposition to travel with me to that and to sit down and engage constructively, instead of having this absolute nonsense.