George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

The government welcomes the tabling of the interim report of the Joint Select Committee on Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. The government remains committed to pursuing recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution. We believe that appropriate constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples can be a unifying moment for the nation. It is our intention to recapture the spirit of the 1967 referendum. The most significant constitutional milestone so far in according proper respect for our nation's first peoples was advanced by the Holt Liberal government.

The path to constitutional recognition starts with widespread parliamentary support, and the joint select committee is to be congratulated for seeking to establish a strong, multipartisan parliamentary consistence on proposals for change. The government recognises that broad support is critical to the success of any referendum. The government will now carefully study the interim report and looks forward to considering the final report next year. We will take the time that is necessary to ensure that any proposal enjoys the maximum prospects of success at a referendum.

I listened with care to what Senator Peris had to say. Might I say: as we all know, this will only succeed if it has bipartisan support, and it will only succeed if it is immune from other political controversies which should not be introduced into the discussion. If they are to be introduced then the bipartisanship upon which the success of this proposal depends would be lost, and that would be a tragedy.

I thank Senator Peris as deputy chair of the committee. I thank my colleague Mr Ken Wyatt, AM, MP, the member for Hasluck, for his conduct of the affairs of the committee. I think on this occasion we should also acknowledge the work of the inaugural chair of this committee, former Senator Trish Crossin, who is, in all respects, a pioneer in relation to this measure.