Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Indigenous Affairs. Prominent 'yes' advocate Marcus Stewart has said of treaty negotiations, 'They could take 10 to 20 years to be negotiated.' Can the minister inform the House as to how long the government expects treaty negotiations to carry on for?

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

There are some problems with that question—the minister is not responsible for every single statement for every single person—but the end part of the question is in order. Obviously, the minister can answer that how she sees fit.

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

I thank the member for Capricornia for her question. The question went to issues to do with an element of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and the position of the Australian government is that we support the implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. This is an idea that came from Indigenous Australians themselves, not the government. It is a generous offer to all Australians to walk together to a better future, and this year we have the chance to vote for constitutional recognition through a voice. It is something that I support. It is something the member for Berowra supports. The member for Bass, the member for Calare, the member for Curtin, the member for Wentworth and the Liberal Premier of Tasmania, Jeremy Rockliff, support it. It is important to understand that recognition through a voice is about a better future.