Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Indigenous Australians. Nine hundred thousand dollars has already been spent on an independent Makarrata Commission for national treaty making. What has this money been spent on?

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

Before coming to that question, I recognise Auntie Robyn Reid and her family, who are in the gallery today—the family of Doctor Gordon Reid, the member for Robertson. You are very welcome and it is wonderful to see you.

I thank the member for Farrer for her question. I have been asked about the elements of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. The government has allocated—

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

The minister is about to talk about the allocation of funding, but I will hear the Deputy Leader of the Opposition

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order on relevance, Mr Speaker: the minister has not been asked about the Uluru Statement from the Heart. The minister has been asked a specific question about a specific allocation of funding for a specific purpose, and it's not the first time she has been asked that question. I think the member from the point of order.

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

I thank the member for that point of order, and I will 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

Mr Speaker, that was potentially the most absurd point of order I have ever heard. The last words that the minister said were 'the government has allocated'. It was at the moment of saying 'the government has allocated' that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, in a prepared point of order, stood up simply to interrupt. It is an attempt simply to interrupt the minister, not to raise a point of order, because the exact words that were being used could not have been more relevant.

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

The question contained a question around funding and budget allocations. As I heard correctly, the minister was using the words, 'The funding allocated,' which I think was entirely relevant. I am going to make sure that she is being relevant, and she has the call.

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

Thank you, Mr Speaker. As I was saying, the government has allocated funding for a Makarrata in line with the commitment that we took to the last election. The funding has been allocated for the NIAA resourcing to progress our commitment to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, but we are not establishing a Makarrata before the referendum. Our priority is Constitutional recognition through a Voice.

Julie Bishop said at the Press Club:

… I believe that it is a step in the right direction … it's not a question of money, it's not a question of politicians coming up with policies, it's a question of giving Indigenous people the franchise to make decisions to implement policies that will work. We got to give it a chance.

I agree with Julie Bishop.