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. I refer article in the Australian headlined 'Warring Indigenous groups unite against voice'. Is the minister aware of the increasing number of Indigenous Australians who do not support the Albanese Labor government's proposal?

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. I apologise that I haven't read that article in the Australian, but I am aware that the Uluru Statement from the Heart was agreed to by a broad range of First Nations communities across Australia. I also accept that there are First Nations Australians, like you, who are opposed to the referendum and opposed to the Voice. We have never pretended otherwise. But we do believe that the vast majority of First Nations Australians and, through them, their representative organisations are supportive of the referendum, are supportive of a constitutionally enshrined voice and support the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which was agreed to in 2017.

The government has listened to the representations from First Nations Australians around the call in the Uluru statement, which was for constitutional recognition of the history of this country and that that recognition be enshrined through a voice to our national parliament. That is what the referendum's about, and on 14 October every one of us and every Australian who is eligible to vote will be able to cast their vote for or against that proposal. We are responding to a call from First Nations people to put that referendum to a vote, and we will be supporting that vote. We will be voting 'yes' for that because we believe it will drive better outcomes and it will provide the appropriate recognition, through our country's birth certificate, of the long and proud history of this country that started before 1770.

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

So you haven't read the article. The article states—

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order on my right and my left! Senator Nampijinpa Price, please continue. Start at the beginning and reset the clock.

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

Thank you. The article states of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre and the Circular Head Aboriginal Corporation:

The two groups are often at loggerheads—over Aboriginal identity, voting rights and land access—but are in furious agreement on one issue: the voice is no good.

Why does the Anthony Albanese government continue to state this is a proposal supported by Indigenous Australians when it is clearly not the case?

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

GALLAGHER (—) (): The Albanese government is responding to a call from a broad range of First Nations Australians and their organisations. I have never said, and the government has never said—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Minister Gallagher will resume her seat. Minister, please continue.

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

I don't think anyone has said that there is 100 per cent agreement on any issue in this country. I don't think anyone has said that. But we are saying that the vast majority of First Nations organisations do support it. I wonder whether there is 100 per cent agreement over there for Peter Dutton's second referendum.

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order across the chamber! The start to yesterday's question time was quite disgraceful. It was disorderly and disrespectful. I don't want to see a repeat of that behaviour today, and it's up to every senator in this place to be responsible for your own behaviour. Minister Gallaher, please continue.

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

I was merely saying: I wonder if there is 100 per cent agreement over there on Peter Dutton's idea of a second referendum. (Time expired)

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

Senator Nampijinpa Price, a second supplementary question?

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

Minister, the writs are yet to be issued for the referendum, and it's not too late to change course. With a growing number of Indigenous Australians and other Australians deciding to oppose the Albanese Labor government's proposal, why won't the government abandon its proposal and instead put forward something unifying and also take real action on the issues impacting our most marginalised Australians?

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order! Order across the chamber! Senator McGrath! Before I call the senator for her second supplementary, I reminded the chamber of your behaviour yesterday. Quite frankly, we've started the same way. I'm asking you to reflect on your own behaviour and take a breath before you interject. Minister Gallaher.

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

It was more of a speech, I think, than a question. In case you didn't notice—

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order! Senator Scarr, that does apply to you.

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

In case those opposite missed it, this chamber passed legislation to set up the referendum, so this idea that you just change it and change the question and all of that is absolute—

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's what you did on local government.

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

This chamber and that chamber passed legislation on the referendum, and some of you—including you, Senator Birmingham—voted to support it. So we are not going to change the question, because it is enshrined in legislation that has been passed by this parliament. We look forward to the next four weeks of campaigning for a yes vote to drive practical outcomes for First Nations Australians by listening to them, by recognising First Nations in our Constitution, and delivering because the alternative is that we accept the status quo and frankly that is not good enough. (Time expired)