Indigenous voice to parliament: Why Anthony Albanese can no longer say he supports a treaty
Why can’t Anthony Albanese provide a simple answer to the question – “do you support a treaty?”
The reason is the politics of the voice referendum have forced the Prime Minister into concealing the extent of Labor’s agenda on treaty and truth-telling. This is not a tenable long-term position.
With support for the voice trending down, Albanese does not want his constitutionally enshrined voice to parliament to become entwined in the public mind with a complex process of agreement making between governments and Indigenous Australians over the legacy of European settlement.
This became obvious on Wednesday morning when Albanese was unable to answer a very simple question on ABC radio – did he support a treaty?
This should require a simple answer. But many listeners must have been left confused.
“Look, what is before the Australian people is a referendum which is about voice which is the first part of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. It’s about recognition. It’s about listening and it’s about better results,” he said.
Mr Albanese said that state governments were already pursuing their own treaty processes.
“Do you support a treaty?” Radio National host Patricia Karvelas asked him.
“Well, the processes are occurring,” Albanese replied.
“But federally you’ve committed to the Uluru statement,” Karvelas said.
“It’s not ‘a’ treaty,” Albanese said.
“No, there are potentially many treaties, right?” Karvelas asked.
“Yeah – that’s occurring. That’s like saying do you support the sun coming up,” Albanese replied. “It’s occurring in Victoria … It’s occurring in Queensland. It’s occurring in the Northern Territory.”
Mr Albanese has repeatedly said in the past that he supports the implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart “in full”.
The statement calls for the establishment of a Makarrata Commission to oversee a process of agreement-making and truth telling, in addition to the creation of a voice to parliament. The draft Labor platform commits the government to taking action on all three of these steps within this term of government.
But the Prime Minister will not concede these points. This strategy risks entrenching in the public mind a sense of suspicion that Albanese and the Yes campaign are not being genuine about the voice and its role in advancing the treaty process.
This looms as a considerable problem with the nation now just months away from the vote, with major implications for the national reconciliation project.
Albanese will not be able to continue fudging Labor’s position on the treaty process and the voice for much longer without inflicting further damage on the Yes campaign.
He needs a new formula.
More Coverage
Live sheep end kills wool as well
Farmers are getting unintended consequences with wool production at a century low. It is not all due to drought or even depressed demand; there is virtue-signalling by the Albanese government.
Retail union fund owes a refund
A retail worker who admitted charging a customer for something they did not purchase, but only refunded the payment if asked, would not be in their job for long.