Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

As Australians would be aware, the Liberal Party today struck a deal with Labor to give the government the numbers to pass the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Amendment Bill 2022. In effect, the coalition have handed Labor the starter's gun for what will be an extraordinarily divisive constitutional change when we peg Indigenous Australians against all other Australians.

My concerns have been further elevated today by a letter I received from a member of the public who provided an 11-point plan he says was devised by staff within the National Indigenous Australians Agency, which operates within the remit of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. It's the same NIAA I brought to the Australian people's attention earlier this week—a body of 1,317 bureaucrats funded to the tune of almost $4½ billion this financial year, reportedly set up to improve the lives of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The NIAA is an unnecessary, duplicative body set up in addition to the roughly 3,000 Aboriginal corporations registered under the CATSI Act that claim to do the same thing.

But my anxiety levels are rising following this correspondence, containing details of an 11-point plan, left behind by a group of six or seven NIAA employees who were having coffee at a cafe in the Woden town centre. This coffee shop in Woden is roughly 450 metres from the NIAA office here in Canberra.

Let me read to you the 11 bullet points that were taken from the pages left behind by that group of NIAA staff. It was headed 'Early action opportunities for the Voice'. 'One, jobs quota—minimum 10 per cent appointments to be First Nations people for judges, magistrates, CW, SES, ADF officers, AFP and state police forces, corrections departments, vice-chancellors and ambassadors. Two, universities—no entry test and no fees for First Nations people. Three, old age pensions—reduced age eligibility for First Nations people because we die younger. Four, public housing—First Nations people to have first preference for all vacant public housing across all states. Five, sport and music—entry fees reduced by 50 per cent for First Nations people for any events on public land. Six, beaches and national parks—all beaches and national parks to be property of the relevant tribe, and non-First-Nations people to be charged to use the beaches, parks et cetera; revenues to go to relevant tribe. Seven—rivers and streams to become property of relevant tribe, and fees for water consumption paid to relevant tribe. Eight, mining royalties—same as for water. Nine—income tax for First Nations people to be 50 per cent of normal rate. Ten, liquor licensing—all new liquor licences across Australia to be vetted by Voice. Eleven, Voice office—research, policy staff to analyse and review all proposed government policies, legislation and appointments; same size and pay as DPMC.' The 'DPMC' they refer to stands for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

If the Prime Minister is aware of these initiatives set out by the NIAA, it would appear that Mr Albanese continues to mislead the Australian people over the extent of the powers given to the Voice to Parliament. If, on the other hand, the PM does not know about the list, then who from Prime Minister and Cabinet is overseeing the actions of the National Indigenous Australians Agency? Australians have a right to know the extent of the powers being handed to the Voice to Parliament now—certainly not whenever this government feels like it.

What has been listed here greatly concerns me because, as I said before, once you put it in the Constitution, any government can make whatever legislation they want and it cannot be changed. It is only through a referendum that it can be changed. This is fraught with danger for the rest of Australia, because this is divisive. What they're proposing here will divide Australians, and we are all Australians together. That's why I want an answer from the Labor Party and I definitely want an answer from the Prime Minister: What are your intentions? What do you intend to do to the Australian people? It's not about bringing everyone together; it's about dividing us. (Time expired)