Qld path to treaty: Opposition leader David Crisafulli calls on got to ‘clear up’ its position

The independent body steering Queensland’s Path to Treaty have slammed the LNP’s decision to withdraw support urging the state government to stay committed to the process.

David Crisafulli has slammed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as being “pig-headed” on the Voice, with the Opposition Leader declaring he would “not make the same mistake” in withdrawing support for a Path to Treaty.

Mr Crisafulli also urged the government to “clear up” its position on Treaty, after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk cast significant doubt on the process on Thursday after declaring it would need bipartisan support.

But Transport Minister Mark Bailey on Friday bizarrely declared “nothing has changed” with regards to the government’s position.

Mr Bailey blamed large swathes of the media for “misreporting” the Premier’s comments – despite the Premier being asked repeatedly on Thursday whether the government would proceed with the Path to Treaty without the backing of David Crisafulli and the Opposition.

Ms Palaszczuk, when asked by the media whether Treaty would still go ahead, said “I can’t predict what would happen in the future, that would need bipartisan support”.

“A Path to Treaty would require bipartisan support.”

Queensland Transport Minister Mark Bailey. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire

This was despite the Path to Treaty already being legislated, treaties being negotiated by the government of the day, and truth-telling expected to begin in the New Year as part of the process.

But Mr Bailey insisted the Premier “was simply stating something that’s been known for a long time”.

“We’ve always said from the beginning that the Treaty process, which began four years ago, that we would seek bipartisan support,” he said.

“And I saw a lot of misreporting from the Courier Mail and Australian and Channel 9.

“And nothing’s changed, nothing has changed whatsoever.

“We are committed to building that relationship. The truth telling process is committed to and is the next phase. Nothing has changed whatsoever no matter what misreporting there might have been from some of the usual suspects yesterday.”

Meanwhile, the independent body steering Queensland’s Path to Treaty has slammed the LNP’s decision to withdraw support as a deep disappointment, profound mistake and lashed the Opposition for their timidity of spirit.

In a rare and extensive statement the Interim Truth and Treaty Body called for the state government to stay committed to the process and warned it “cannot become a political plaything” nor a “pawn in a fruitless cultural war”.

Queensland Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli has urged the government to “clear up” their position on Treaty. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewWire

The 10-person interim body includes highly-respected public servant Mick Gooda and former Brisbane Lord Mayor and LNP stateswoman Sallyanne Atkinson.

“The LNP decision is a deep disappointment, a complete reversal of its previous position and a profound mistake. It displays a weakness in leadership and timidity of spirit,” they said.

“There are varied reasons why the Voice referendum was rejected but both Yes and No campaign advocates had emphasised the crucial importance of addressing the intractable economic and social disadvantage experienced by First Nations Peoples compared to the wider Australian community.”

The interim truth body warned Queensland would soon be elevated on the world stage for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the truth, healing and treaty process “cannot become a political plaything”.

“Not a pawn in a fruitless cultural wars,” they said.

“But seized as an opportunity to build a better, fairer and stronger Queensland where the State’s First Nations Peoples can enjoy equal life chances and the State benefits from the world’s oldest continuous cultures and knowledge.”

Mr Gooda said he felt a “sense of profound disappointment at the LNP decision”.

“If Voice was not the right way forward, and now the path to treaty is not the right way forward, then what is the solution?” he said.

“If we are seeking to revisit reconciliation, you can’t have reconciliation without our voices being heard, without the truth being told, and without an agreement through treaty about what our future looks like.”

Ms Atkinson said she was “surprised and disappointed” by the decision.

“It is a wrong and dangerous assumption that because Queenslander’s voted No in the Voice Referendum, they do not support Truth and Treaty,” she said.

The 10-person interim body has continued to lay the groundwork while the official First Nations Treaty Institute and the Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry are set up as outlined in laws passed with the support of the LNP earlier this year.

Mr Crisafulli earlier refused to weigh in on a report Queensland’s public servants were being offered five days of special paid leave if they had been left distressed by the referendum result.

Speaking on Friday morning, Mr Crisafulli said he was “not sure what the government’s position is” on Treaty, and “every time I read a different post from a different person, it was a different view”.

“Now, they can sort that out,” he said.

“Our position is very clear, and we believe that is the clearest way to make sure that Queenslanders know that we’ve listened and we’re keen to unite.

“I’m not sure what the government’s position. It would be great if they could clear that up.”

The Opposition Leader also took a swipe at Mr Albanese, saying it “would be wrong to go down the same path” as the Prime Minister did in pushing for the Voice.

“I think there were warnings to the Prime Minister many months ago that he should have headed, and I’m not going to make the same mistake that Mr Albanese did,” he said.

“I’m not putting Queensland through that.

“I’ve seen what has happened in the last six months and it would be wrong to go down the same path.

“I think the Prime Minister was, dare I say, very pig-headed in not listening to the warnings bells ringing and I’m not going to repeat that.”

Asked whether he supported Queensland public servants being offered five days leave if they were distressed on the referendum outcome – and whether it passed the pub test – Mr Crisafulli said it was a matter for the Public Service Commissioner David Mackie.

“I don’t have the details. The first time I saw it was in (The Courier-Mail),” he said.

“I don’t have the details but that is a matter for him.”

Originally published as Qld path to treaty: Opposition leader David Crisafulli calls on got to ‘clear up’ its position