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

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. I refer to a speech by Uluru statement co-author and Referendum Council member Megan Davis when she delivered the Henry Parkes oration in 2018. She said:

The Uluru Statement from the Heart isn't just the first one-page statement; it's actually a very lengthy document …

The Prime Minister made a statement in the other place yesterday in which he said that leaders at Uluru had come with a statement that fits on an A4 page. When is the Prime Minister going to be truthful with the Australian people and admit that the Uluru statement is much longer than he claimed yesterday?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson, I make a few points. First, Ms Davis has made a statement. There's been a lot of news this week that the Uluru statement is 26 pages long, but it's one page. That's the statement. That is what we issued to the Australian people. I can show you the Uluru statement here.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Order! Minister Wong, please resume your seat. Order, Senator Canavan! Order! The minister needs to be heard in silence.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is, I think, a great sadness to many people to see the alternative government denigrating the statement that has been given by First Nations peoples to the people of Australia. But, Senator Hanson, this is the Uluru statement, and it does fit on an A4 page. I disagree with your position on this, and I appreciate that we have a different view, but I think we should at least ensure that we are clear about why we have a different view. With respect, you and others don't have a different view because of the length of the statement; you have a different view because, fundamentally, you don't think that we should have a voice. We disagree. In fact, I think many of those opposite disagree. There are those opposite who do support a voice and there are those opposite, including in this chamber, who support a legislated voice and have done so publicly. I acknowledge that. There appear to be those on your side who don't even support that.

So the difference between those in this chamber is that there are some that don't support any voice. As I said, Senator Hanson, I disagree with you, but that's your right. There are some who support a legislated voice but are going all out to stop a constitutional voice. That's what they're doing. There are those of us who think that, given all that's happened in this country and the extent of Indigenous disadvantage, we should ensure that our First Nations peoples are recognised in our Constitution and are able to have a constitutional right to a voice to give advice. That's all. The Voice does not call for a determination of policy. (Time expired)

Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know what they will be doing; they will be rent-seeking.

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

President, on a point of order. Senator Hughes made a highly objectionable remark across the chamber and I would ask her to withdraw.

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

I wasn't aware of the remark. I invite Senator Hughes, if she believes she has been unparliamentary, to withdraw her statement. I'm moving on now to Senator Hanson and her first supplementary.

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

Senator Wong, I think you have given a lot of misinformation and disinformation. I have the Uluru statement in full here—26 pages. It's document 14 that was supplied under the FOI request. I also have the final report of the Referendum Council here that states the Uluru statement in it. That's for you to view. I also have here Professor Megan Davis's comments and her statement. Professor Davis claimed she had been referring to the Referendum Council report published in 2017, page 16— (Time expired)

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

I remind all senators that, when senators are asking questions, they have the right to be heard in silence.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Perhaps the best articulation of a response is from Chris Kenny. He said: 'I dare to say what senior coalition MPs have told me to my face, and that is that defeating the Voice referendum was their way to hurt Albanese and turn their fortunes around. I'll focus on the furphies being put around by the no case. One of them is this claim that the Uluru Statement from the Heart is 26 pages long—

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

Senator Hanson, I acknowledge you are on your feet. I haven't called you yet.

Senator Thorpe and Senator Whish-Wilson, I am aware of those interjections. They are to cease. Senator Hanson on a point of order?

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

Thank you, Madam President. I can't concentrate on the answer when I have a debate going on here.

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

As you just heard, Senator Hanson, I well and truly called them to order. Minister Wong, please continue.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am happy to start again if the senator wishes, but I was referring to Chris Kenny's response to this. He referred to 'furphies', including that the Uluru statement is 26 pages long. He says: 'This is simply untrue. They are not part of that Uluru statement. The Referendum Council six years ago took these background papers and published them in a report. They published background material for the Uluru Statement from the Heart. In fact, the paragraph introducing these pages they call a synthesis of records of meetings of the dialogue. This synthesis is called "Our story", which happens to be the heading of the first page after the one-page Uluru statement. But we have been distracted into this discussion. This is a clear invitation from— (Time expired)

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

Senator Hanson, a second supplementary?

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

It showed that sections of the report are identical to documents released by the government's very own National Indigenous Australians Agency following a freedom-of-information request. In a clarifying statement to the person who made the request the agency confirmed that 26 pages of the documents released represented the full Uluru Statement from the Heart. Why are you and the Prime Minister lying to the Australian people about the full Uluru statement?

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

Senator Hanson, I ask you to withdraw that and reframe the assertion that you made around Senator Wong and the Prime Minister.

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

I will withdraw that. Why are you and the Prime Minister giving the people—

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

That's time, Senator, but Senator Wong—

Senator Hanson, it's not your role to argue back at me, but please finish your question.

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

Okay, so I will refrain from saying that word.

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

Thank you.

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

I will say: why are you and the Prime Minister giving people misinformation and disinformation with regard to the full Uluru statement? What are you hiding?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is lot of misinformation and disinformation, and it is not coming from the government. I refer you to the letter from the NIAA which says this to Senator Nampijinpa Price: 'I'm writing to respond to your recent statements regarding the Uluru Statement from the Heart. The Uluru Statement from the Heart is one page signed by the delegates of the National Convention in 2017. The authors of the Uluru Statement from the Heart have confirmed this.'

Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Not me!

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

Minister Wong, please resume your seat. Senator Thorpe, that was incredibly disorderly. I would ask you to refrain from interjecting. Minister Wong, please continue.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The additional pages contained in document 14 of the FOI—FOI/2223/016—are background and excerpts drawn from regional dialogues. I think that makes it clear and, subject to the usual tabling, I table this letter.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is also to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong, following on, in fact, from Senator Hanson's question. Minister, yesterday in question time the Prime Minister said—

Government Senators:

Government senators interjecting—

The:

Senator Cash, please resume your seat. I appreciate these are difficult questions and difficult answers and I want senators to be respectful to the person asking the question and to the person answering the question. That means no interjections and no calling out. Senator Cash, I invite you to start again.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you. As I said, my question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Minister, yesterday in question time the Prime Minister said:

That is the Uluru Statement from the Heart on an A4 bit of paper. That is it.

He then held up a single sheet of paper and called any suggestion that the Uluru statement was a longer document a 'conspiracy theory and nonsense'. But in 2018 at the Henry Parkes oration Professor Megan Davis said:

The Uluru Statement from the Heart isn't just the first one-page statement; it's actually a very lengthy document of about 18 to 20 pages, and a very powerful part of this document reflects what happened in the dialogues.

Does the government consider Professor Davis to be a conspiracy theorist? If not, will the Prime Minister apologise for misleading the parliament and correct the record?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I believe this is the same question in substance as the question from Senator Hanson, and I refer the senator to my answer to Senator Hanson.

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

Senator Cash, first supplementary?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, how many pages are in the Uluru Statement from the Heart?

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

Just a moment, Minister. Senator Watt, I have called the chamber to order. I have asked senators not to interject. That includes you.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One.

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

Senator Cash, second supplementary?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to table the full Uluru Statement from the Heart to ensure that the Australian Senate knows what is in it.

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

Is leave granted?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Subject to the usual courtesies, we will look at it first. I would say it is incorrect to call it that. That is the FOI document, which is already public, and I have responded to this already.

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order across the chamber! Senator Cash, subject to the usual courtesies, which I think is distribution to the whips.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to place it on the record that the statement was circulated by the whips prior to question time.

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

Thank you, Senator Cash. Second supplementary?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

All Australians will actually see what and how many pages the full Uluru Statement from the Heart is. Minister, I say this to you: if we can't even trust you to tell the Australian people how many pages are actually in the full Uluru Statement from the Heart, how can Australians have any faith in what you tell them about the Voice?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, again, refer to my answer to Senator Hanson. And I would, again, say to all in here that I think Mr Kenny had it right. He said, 'Senior coalition members had told me to my face that defeating the Voice referendum was their way to hurt Albanese and turn their fortunes around.'

… I really focused on the furphies being put around by the 'no' case, and one of them is this claim that the Uluru Statement from the Heart is 26 pages long.

…   …   …

This is simply untrue—

It says something, I think, when a shadow minister who supports a legislated voice—and if she doesn't, I'd invite her to stand up and indicate that—is focusing on this furphy in order to oppose a constitutional voice. One can ask: why? It comes back to politics. (Time expired)