Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (NT, Country Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator Gallagher. Does the Albanese government support the establishment of a treaty between the Australian government and Indigenous Australians?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Nampijinpa Price for the question. The government supports the Uluru Statement from the Heart. In particular, our focus and our priority is on our referendum later this year so every Australian has the opportunity to vote on constitutional recognition for Australia's First Peoples and for a voice to our national parliament. That is what the government supports. They are the arrangements we are putting in place. The whole reason is because it's a generous offer made by those who attended Uluru in 2017 and who authored the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

It's about making a practical difference to the lives of First Nations people in this country. There is a recognition that the system that we have in place now is not delivering the outcomes that we want whether it be in health, whether it be in housing, whether it be in education, whether it be in justice, whether it be in early childhood outcomes. These are the issues that we are focused on: improving outcomes for First Nations people and an acknowledgement that the system, as it is set up now, is not working; recognising our proud history, going back some 65,000 years; recognising First Nations people in our country's birth certificate; and ensuring that we are responding to the Uluru restatement, which calls for a voice to our national parliament so that we can make a difference and shift the dial to try to improve those outcomes that every single one of us in this place must surely recognise are not being delivered in the way that we want.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Nampijinpa Price, first supplementary?

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (NT, Country Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Given your failure to address the very specific question asked, I ask again: does the Albanese government support the establishment of a treaty between the Australian government and Indigenous Australians?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I did answer the question, but it may be that Senator Nampijinpa Price doesn't like the answer. I said the government supports the Uluru Statement from the Heart. That was in my answer to the first question. That is the answer I gave to the first question; it's the answer I give now.

Our focus, as Senator Nampijinpa Price knows, is on the referendum that will be held later this year to recognise, in our Constitution, Australia's First People and, through that, create a voice to our national parliament to deliver the improved outcomes that I would hope all of us in this chamber want to see. We know that you have a constant campaign to undermine the work that's being done on this referendum. We understand that, but we remain resolute and focused on delivering the Voice through the referendum vote later this year.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Nampijinpa Price, second supplementary?

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (NT, Country Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, you can wear the T-shirt, you can tweet the tweet, you can even attend the rally. Why are you now being so tricky and evasive? Why won't you be upfront with the Australian people and give an honest and direct answer regarding the Albanese Labor government's commitments to a treaty?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Nampijinpa Price personalises this, but as Senator McCarthy says time and time again: this is not about me, it's not about you. It's not about my tweets or your obsession with my social media accounts. It's not about any of us as individuals. This is about a bigger thing. It's about the country. It's about the nation. It's about the way we walk together. It's about bringing a country together. It's about recognising our past and improving outcomes.