Lidia Thorpe slams federal government for ‘passing the buck’ to states and territories on treaty agreements

A Labor minister has conceded that the government hadn’t moved on a key election promise following the failed Voice referendum, angering Indigenous Senator Lidia Thorpe.

Independent MP Lidia Thorpe has lashed out at the Albanese government over revelations that its promise to establish a treaty and truth-telling process relied on the result of the failed Voice referendum.

It emerged on Friday that the federal government’s commitment to set up a Makarrata Commission, which it took to its election in 2022, was dependent on the success of the Indigenous Voice to parliament.

Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy hit back against Senator Thorpe’s suggestions that Labor had “wound back” on its pledge to start a truth-telling and treaty process after the vote went down – despite conceding that work at a federal level would not happen “right now”

“We haven’t wound anything back – the Australian people were firmly committed to No … and we have to go back to First Nations people across the country and continue to discuss with them about treaty and truth-telling,” Senator McCarthy said on Friday.

Senator McCarthy said the government was focused on consultation with Indigenous communities. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

A commission for truth-telling and treaty were key demands of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, a document for constitutional reform endorsed by more than 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders from across the country.

Senator Thorpe said the government was “passing the buck” down to states and territories to negotiate their own treaty agreements, telling the minister to “step up” and recommit.

“When this country was asked to vote yes or no for a powerless Voice, they weren’t told that they were also voting on the government’s promise for a truth-telling commission and treaty,” Senator Thorpe said.

“But now it’s clear the government’s promise for truth and treaty was a false promise.

“Our people are hurting, and our hope after the referendum was treaty and truth, and now that’s gone.”

Senator Thorpe at a Senate Estimates hearing on Friday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Dr Simon Gordon, manager of the National Indigenous Australians Agency, told Friday’s hearing that “no money” has been spent yet to establish a Makaratta Commission.

He said about $607,066 of the $5.8m that federal Labor had allocated towards the process had been spent on preparatory work, which he said involved going out to consult different Indigenous communities on a “broad” range of matters.

After acknowledging delayed progress on the national Closing The Gap targets on Tuesday, Anthony Albanese said the government wanted to get the creation of a Makaratta commission for Indigenous truth-telling “right”,

“As we take the time needed to get Makarrata and truth-telling right, the work of treaty goes on at a state and territory level, ” the Prime Minister said.

“There will be a diversity of processes, ­reflecting the diversity of First ­Nations across the continent.”