‘Voice, treaty, truth’: Linda Burney has defended criticism of the Voice

The Indigenous Australians Minister wants to “enhance” the work of states and territories promoting “truth” and reconciliation over Australia’s colonisation of Aboriginal people. Find out what she has to say.

EXCLUSIVE: The Minister for Indigenous Australians is undeterred by dwindling support for the Voice and has reiterated the government’s backing of the Uluru Statement from the Heart — which includes a first nations treaty and a truth commission — in full.

Linda Burney, who has been touring regional NSW to garner support for the referendum slated for later this year, staunchly defended the rollout of the Voice campaign despite early criticism that people did not understand what the proposal was about.

“It was very early on in the piece, it was prior to the campaign really hitting the ground running. What’s stayed consistent is the support for the Voice among Aboriginal people,” she said.

“It is between 80 and 83 per cent which is morally very important. I‘m not going to be deterred by those sorts of numbers, I believe in the Australian people. I’m very happy with the timeline with how things have gone.”

The government has already committed to the first and second component of the Uluru Statement from the Heart: the proposed creation of a Voice and the commitment to a Makaratta Commission.

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney. Picture: David Swift

Ms Burney this week met with the oldest survivor of NSW’s Stolen Generations, Aunty Isabel Reid, as part of her campaigning ahead of the referendum.

The minister said she wanted to “enhance” the work of states and territories promoting “truth” and reconciliation over Australia’s colonisation of Aboriginal people — pointing to Victoria’s Yoorrook Justice Commission as something the government had been monitoring closely.

“We have taken a great deal of notice about what’s happening in Victoria. In every state and territory there are moves towards truth and agreement making and the really crucial thing is that what we do federally enhances what’s going on at a state and territory level and doesn’t trip over them,” she said, when asked if the Commonwealth was supportive of a federal truth and reconciliation commission.

Two years ago, the Victorian government held an inquiry into the ongoing effects of the violence and genocide of Aboriginal people during colonisation.

The Yoorrook justice commission was announced as part of the state’s treaty process.

The Uluru Statement from the Heart website lists the Voice as the first step, followed by a Makaratta Commission which would be responsible for “truth and treaty”.

“These reforms are: Voice, Treaty, Truth. The first reform is the constitutional enshrinement of a Voice to parliament (Voice),” their website reads.

“The second reform is the Makaratta Commission to supervise a process of agreement-making between governments and First Nations (Treaty), and truth-telling (Truth).”

When asked if Ms Burney would rule out a treaty, she said: “The statement from the ALP is very clear and that is that we embrace the Uluru statement in full. The priority at the moment is absolutely what I’ll focus on and that’s a Voice to the parliament.

“We adopt the Uluru statement in full and our focus absolutely, laser like, is on the referendum which will move the dial on the things that the Productivity Commission put a draft out on today.”