Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. I was pleased to see last week in Adelaide the Prime Minister announce that a referendum on a Voice to Parliament will be held on 14 October. Can the minister please explain to the Senate how the Voice is an opportunity to bring Australians together and help achieve progress for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians?

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

I thank Senator Stewart for that question. I thank her for her work and her advocacy. And we were all very proud to be there with Senator Stewart, Senator McCarthy and so many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders. It was a very uplifting moment. As the senator says, the Prime Minister announced that on 14 October all Australians will have the opportunity to come together and vote for constitutional recognition through a Voice, and this is an issue that should be above politics—an opportunity to come together to bring about a better future for our country.

I want to acknowledge my predecessor, Julie Bishop, who joined me in Perth last week to talk with people about the Voice. I'll quote what she said:

… for 20 years, I've seen us try all sorts of things, telling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, 'this will work' and it doesn't. So, I think it makes sense to say to the people whose lives have been impacted, what are the problems and how do we fix them?

Later in the week I was joined in Adelaide by Natasha Stott Despoja, Kate Carnell and Sean Gordon from the Liberals for Yes campaign in campaigning for the yes vote. In Melbourne, Mr Shorten was joined by Mr Bandt, and in Sydney, Ms Plibersek was joined by Mr Turnbull, and they campaigned together, because for some people this is above politics, and these community leaders all recognise that this is an opportunity to bring Australians from all walks of life together. And Australians are coming together across the country in sporting clubs and community groups.

One Australian I would particularly acknowledge is John Farnham AO, who for the first time has given the rights to 'You're the Voice', one of our unofficial anthems, to the yes campaign. The words of this song are about coming together, listening to each other and choosing a better future. (Time expired)

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

Senator Stewart, a first supplementary?

Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister, for that response.

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Please resume your seat. I will wait for silence.

Order! Senator Brown! Senator Stewart, please continue.

Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the minister for that response. Could the minister outline how this year's referendum is a chance to make a practical difference to the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians?

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

(—) (): The Voice will offer ideas and advice so governments make better decisions to address the challenges facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It will be an advisory committee made up of representatives from across the country and it will not have power to make or veto government decisions. What it will do is improve outcomes in Indigenous health, housing, education and employment, because, as we all know, for too long governments with good intentions have spent billions trying to deal with these issues but we have not achieved lasting improvement because we have not listened sufficiently to the people on the ground. The current approach is broken, and the Voice is our best chance of fix this. The overwhelming majority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people support the Voice. As I said, the words of the song are about people coming together, listening to each other and choosing a better future, and that is exactly the choice Australians have on 14 October. (Time expired)

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

Senator Stewart, a second supplementary?

Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a shame those opposite laugh at the idea of bringing people together. With the referendum question and date settled, following years and decades of advocacy by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, why is it important for Australians to take this opportunity to recognise our first peoples in the Constitution?

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

Recognition through a voice is what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have asked for. We know that because so many Indigenous representatives met at Uluru and released the Uluru Statement from the Heart. What is interesting—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Minister Wong, please resume your seat. Order on my left! Please continue.

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

What was interesting over the weekend was we saw Mr Dutton say he doesn't want one referendum; he wants two—not one but two. According to Mr Dutton, it is a bad idea to ask all Australians to turn up and vote in one referendum but it is a good idea to ask them to turn up and vote in a second referendum and he supports a voice, apparently, just not this voice. So one referendum bad, two referendum is good according to the coalition and its leader, and a voice is okay but not this voice. We know Mr Dutton is playing political games because when he had the chance to do something, he didn't, and now when someone else is trying to do something he tries to tear it down. He builds himself up by tearing others down. (Time expired)