Premier pushes ahead with Treaty as 6000 fight against it

David Crisafulli says he won’t back down on his plan to dump Queensland’s Path to Treaty plans should he be elected Premier, appearing to challenge Steven Miles to make the October election a “referendum” on the issue. VOTE IN OUR POLL

• Q&A: How treaty would work

David Crisafulli says he won’t back down on his plan to dump Queensland’s Path to Treaty plans should he be elected Premier, appearing to challenge Steven Miles to make the October election a “referendum” on the issue.

He also took a swipe at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, saying the Voice was a “hugely wasted opportunity” and he would not “make the same mistake”.

The Opposition Leader on Tuesday said his stance on the divisive issue had not changed since he withdrew his support for Treaty and Truth-telling following the unsuccessful Voice referendum last October.

“If the government wants that to be the battlelines at the next election, I won’t take a backwards step on that,” he said.

With Queensland’s Path to Treaty and Truth-telling continuing to progress under new Premier Steven Miles, Mr Crisafulli said the LNP were “not embarking on that process” and under his watch, “that process will end”.

“I think a majority of Queenslanders want us to focus on the challenges facing Indigenous communities,” he said.

Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli. Picture: Richard Walker

“And we won’t be wasting time talking about those issues - in terms of Treaty and the Truth-telling process - because we said we’re not embarking on that.

“If the government wants the election to be a referendum on whether or not they want to embark on a Treaty and Truth-telling process well, our counterpoint to that will be on accountability when it comes to housing, education, law and order, and lifting these communities up and giving them hope.”

Mr Crisafulli also called out Mr Albanese’s role in the Voice referendum, saying it was a ‘hugely wasted opportunity and it regressed the opportunities for people in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities”.

“It was a huge mistake, and I’m not going to make the same mistake,” he said.

“And my message to the government is Queenslanders want to see real, tangible outcomes, and that’s what we intend to give them.

“If the government wants to continue down this path I will not give one inch of wiggle room on this - that vehicle will not be a vehicle which will be used.

“Our focus will be on making sure every cent is spent on housing, education and making sure Indigenous communities can have hope and opportunities.”

The LNP had supported the Path to Treaty when it was passed at last year’s regional sitting of Parliament, several months ahead of the Voice referendum.

The Courier-Mail earlier reported Mr Miles would push ahead with the politically charged Path to Treaty after the state government earlier softened its commitment in the wake of the Voice referendum defeat.

Mr Miles, from Labor’s Left faction, will forge ahead to progress Queensland’s landmark Path to Treaty program ahead of the next election despite concern the issue could hurt Labor.

The Premier reappointed Leeanne Enoch as Treaty Minister last month in his first ministry.

Mr Miles said the new government’s work on delivering treaty would continue amid a threat it would be axed if the LNP wins power in October.

“My government remains committed to continuing on a Path To Treaty, as legislated by parliament,” he said.

A petition to the parliament calling for the repeal of Queensland’s Path to Treaty Act has more than 6000 signatures.

It notes the “emphatic” No vote recorded in Queensland to the Voice Referendum in October and claims the government does not have the mandate of the people to legislate Treaty.

The petition prompted an alternative one in support to be set up, which now has almost 2300 signatures.

It argues the process “will enrich all Queenslanders’ sense of place and identity, particularly future generations”.

“The process of Truth, Healing and Treaty provides a unifying opportunity to build a better, fairer and stronger Queensland, upholding the dignity and the respect due to the world’s oldest continuous cultures, languages and knowledge,” the petition notes.

The LNP withdrew its support for Path to Treaty in October just days after Queensland helped deliver a heavy defeat in the Voice referendum.

It sparked a bizarre day in which the future of the reforms were cast into doubt when then premier Annastacia Palaszczuk appeared to walk back the government’s commitment.

Ms Palaszczuk at the time said it was an issue that needed “bipartisan support” and declared the truth-telling process – the first part of the Treaty plan – could take a number of years.

She later told a hastily-arranged caucus meeting the government’s stance on Treaty had not changed.

The Interim Truth and Treaty body, independent of the government, started holding sessions with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous community members last month to “develop an understanding of how local and regional truth-telling can be enabled”.

Originally published as Premier pushes ahead with Treaty as 6000 fight against it