Opposition demands Government says where it stands on treaty
In federal politics the opposition is demanding more detail from the Albanese Government about where it stands on treaty, the second stage of the Uluru statement from the heart.
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00:00 Well, the Uluru Statement from the Heart has called for a constitutionally enshrined voice
00:06 to Parliament, which Australians will be going to a referendum for later this year, along
00:11 with truth and treaty.
00:13 And Labor committed to establishing a Makarrata Commission last year.
00:17 Makarrata is another word for treaty, to supervise a process of agreement making between governments
00:23 and First Nations and overseeing a process of truth-telling at a national, regional and
00:29 local level.
00:30 And it's also committed over $5 million during the last budget.
00:35 It says it will develop a national framework for treaty making and support and fund local
00:41 truth-telling efforts in partnership with First Nations groups and local communities.
00:45 And of course, taking into account some of the processes that are already underway in
00:50 places like Victoria, Queensland and the Northern Territory.
00:54 Now the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, has been facing many questions this week about
00:58 his longer-term goals for reconciliation.
01:02 If the referendum is successful, we heard Opposition Leader Peter Dutton today during
01:07 question time accuse the Prime Minister of refusing to give a direct answer on his plans
01:12 for treaty.
01:13 Now the PM has ruled out today the Commonwealth negotiating a treaty in this term of Parliament
01:20 if the referendum is successful.
01:23 We know that in his victory speech when he won the federal election last year, Anthony
01:28 Albanese committed to implementing the Uluru Statement of the Heart in full, which of course
01:33 includes treaty.
01:35 Now the Opposition continued asking questions about the Makarrata Commission, more specifically
01:39 around where those funds are going and what treaty will look like.
01:43 We did hear from Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, who says the government still
01:48 supports implementing it in full.
01:51 What happens next?
01:53 Well Linda Burney also said that the progress of Makarrata won't actually happen until after
01:59 a referendum.
02:00 She says that the priority for the government at the moment is for the voiced Parliament,
02:05 for that to be successful at the referendum.
02:08 And that vote is expected to happen later this year between October and December.
02:13 So we can expect in the next few weeks to hear an announcement of that date.
02:18 In the meantime, we also heard from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who's invited Opposition
02:23 Leader Peter Dutton to attend the Garma Festival this weekend.
02:27 It was initially expected that the date would be announced then, that won't be happening.
02:31 But he's asked for him to come along and engage constructively on a proposal for an Indigenous
02:37 voiced Parliament.
02:38 [BLANK_AUDIO]