Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Can the minister please remind the Senate how and why the proposal for the Voice to Parliament was developed, why it will improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and how it will save money and make our country stronger?

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

I thank Senator Grogan for her question. On 14 October, every Australian will have a once-in-a-generation chance to bring our country together and to change it for the better, to vote for recognition and listening so we can get better results. You see, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians want the same things for their children as everyone else does. They want them to be healthy. They want them to do well at school. They want them to get a good job. They want them to have the best opportunities they can. And that is what we're all saying yes to.

The call for the Voice did not come from politicians in this chamber. It came directly from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people after years of work and discussions across the country. Nearly 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, leaders and elders endorsed the Uluru Statement from the Heart in 2017, and it says, 'We invite you to walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better future.' This is a modest ask of recognition of this land's First Peoples in the Constitution through a Voice to the Parliament, a voice to help practical progress in health, education, employment and housing to make sure governments make better decisions and spend money wisely. All this is needed because of the challenges facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: a life expectancy eight years shorter than that for non-Indigenous Australians, children almost twice as likely to die before their first birthday, a suicide rate twice as high, and fewer opportunities for education and training.

Governments of both political persuasions with good intentions have spent billions trying to deal with these issues, but we have not achieved lasting improvement. The Voice is the chance to fix this. (Time expired)

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

Senator Grogan, first supplementary?

Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister. There are some alarming facts in there that we should all be deeply mindful of. Can the minister please explain to the Senate why this referendum is on constitutional recognition through a Voice to Parliament rather than on recognition alone?

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

The ask from the overwhelming majority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is for a referendum for constitutional recognition through a Voice to Parliament. Now Mr Dutton is out there talking about his referendum. He's out there saying he supports a referendum, just not this referendum. He supports a voice but just not this voice. It's really clear yet again: we see Mr Dutton playing political games because his political strategy, tried and true, is to try to build himself up by tearing everything else down.

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! Minister Wong, please continue.

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

That's why he says no to everything, even when it is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring our country together and change it for the better; even when he knows this closes the door on better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

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

Thank you, Minister. Senator Grogan, a second supplementary?

Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the minister for that response.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Senator Grogan, please resume your seat. Senator Hughes, I have called the chamber to order. I had a senator asking a question, and the loudest voice in the chamber was yours. Senator Grogan, please begin the question again.

Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the minister. That really has cleared it up for me. I thought I was a bit mad thinking there was a proposal for a different referendum that agreed with recognition but didn't agree with listening to anything that that recognition would give you, so thank you for that. Can the minister please inform the Senate how consultation has guided the proposal for the Voice and why that—

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Order! Senator Grogan, please continue.

Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll just refresh: can the minister please inform the Senate how consultation has guided the proposal for the Voice and why that is so important?

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

The idea of constitutional recognition through a voice began with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people themselves, but it's clear that Mr Dutton isn't listening to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We'd invite him to speak to people like Sean Gordon, the Liberals for Yes spokesperson, who recently said:

For politicians to go out and propose something … alternate to what Indigenous people asked for … speaks to our disempowerment as Indigenous people …

But it isn't surprising that Mr Dutton didn't consult the overwhelming majority of First Nations people; in fact, it doesn't appear that Mr Dutton is even consulting his colleagues. Mr Pitt said today that no proposal for another referendum has been put to the party room. And Senator Nampijinpa Price and Mr Littleproud are not prepared to say they were consulted. So the question is: who is Mr Dutton— (Time expired)