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

My question is to the Prime Minister. On Monday, the Prime Minister said:

I believe that when you make a commitment, including a commitment to Indigenous people, it should be fulfilled.

At the Garma Festival last year, the Prime Minister pledged to Indigenous Australians that he would:

… work with you in lifting the words off the page …

…   …   …

Through the work of Makarrata, treaty-making and truth-telling …

When will this process occur and how much will it cost?

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

Order! The Minister for the Environment and Water will cease interjecting before ministers begin their answers, otherwise action will be taken. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

I thank the Deputy Leader of the Opposition for her question, but I'm somewhat confused about how she had that quote, because the Leader of the Opposition said this on 12 October—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

It is about me, funnily enough; it's never about anything positive from them, because they've got nothing to say. They have nothing to say!

I'll wait.

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

Order! The member for Hume. We will continue to hear the Prime Minister in silence.

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

Mr Speaker, there he was in a hard-hitting interview on 2GB, and he said this: 'The Prime Minister has been obsessed with the Voice from the day he was elected. Never mentioned it before the last election, I might say.' So I'm confused by the question, because the Leader of the Opposition has said that we didn't say anything before the election. Now they stand up and ask a question, saying, 'Well, you said all this. Why haven't you implemented it?' The truth—

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

The Prime Minister will pause. Member for Deakin, I'd like to hear from the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in silence. She has the call.

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

A point of order on relevance: how can the Prime Minister's reflection on the opposition be relevant to a question about something he said? Surely a conviction politician like the Prime Minister—

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

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition was pushing the envelope there. I think she knows that. Points of order can't be abused, and if any more of that happens today people won't be warned; they'll just leave. The Prime Minister has the call and will be heard in silence.

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

My point is the contradiction in the question that's being asked by the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, which is very different from her leader, to whom she's very loyal, of course. The Leader of the Opposition has said we didn't mention the Voice before the election campaign. But then they come in here. They say, before the referendum, 'Oh, well, you're just too obsessed by the referendum,' when we're getting on with doing the work that we've done on the economy, on health, on education, on TAFE—and everything else. Then, after the referendum they come in here, and they ask every question on the same thing, on the same thing, on the same thing.

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

This is electrifying stuff.

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

I concede to the member for Bradfield, who's as interesting today as he was when he was on the Sydney uni SRC with me—who brings such life to this chamber.

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

The Prime Minister will return to the question.

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

We said we would have a referendum. We did. We said we'd respect the outcome of that referendum. We have. We said we'd listen to Indigenous Australians. We will continue to do so. We said that we would make a practical difference to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians, and that's precisely what we will do.