Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Thorpe. You're right; you have repeatedly asked this question. In fact, I think I answered it in estimates many months ago, when you asked the question of me and the officials who were there. And we do keep telling you, but I know that you keep coming back with that question. The fact is that the expert panel on the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples sought advice on this issue. The advice was simple—that is, that constitutional recognition does not in any way foreclose on First Nations sovereignty. The Uluru statement is clear that enshrining a voice to parliament in the Constitution is linked to recognising the ancient sovereignty of our First Nations peoples. The Uluru statement states, as I'm sure you're aware:

With substantive constitutional change and structural reform, we believe this ancient sovereignty can shine through as a fuller expression of Australia's nationhood.

That's why the Albanese government is looking forward to working with the community and all sides of politics, and I recognise there are people on all sides of politics who support recognising our First Peoples in our Constitution and there are people on all sides of politics who support doing that through a voice to parliament. We look forward to working with everyone who supports that occurring, everyone in the broader community and First Nations people, the overwhelming majority of whom support recognition and a voice to parliament. We look forward to working with all of them to achieve a voice to parliament in the Constitution through the referendum that we'll be having later this year.