Albanese plans to use voice to create jobs for Indigenous Australians

Anthony Albanese says he will turn his attention to the ways an Indigenous voice could help create more jobs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

Minister for Indigenous Australians Lina Burney meets with local women from across the Torres Strait. Picture: Twitter/@AlboMP

Anthony Albanese says he will turn his attention to the ways an Indigenous voice could help create more jobs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

The Prime Minister and Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney began a series of voice consultations in the Torres Strait on Thursday and Friday before flying to Rockhampton, where Ms Burney met Indigenous leaders and Indigenous health and kindergarten workers.

“People are very positive and helpful,” Mr Albanese said on Friday. “They want to close the gap in life expectancy, health, education, housing outcomes. And the way they see that as being done is by having a sense of ownership over issues that impact directly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

“We know our experience shows on issues like the rangers program, that when people are involved in a program and they have that sense of ownership, you will get better outcomes. So the voice isn’t the end in itself. It’s a voice so that we can close the gap and address Indigenous disadvantage, which is something that we need to do, not just on behalf of Indigenous Australians, but on behalf of lifting up the whole nation.”

Mr Albanese and Ms Burney’s visits to remote and regional communities to discuss the voice are part of promised consultations ahead of a referendum. Australians will be asked if they agree that the Constitution should be amended to guarantee the existence of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advisory body to parliament.

Mr Albanese intends to discuss the voice with residents of Aboriginal communities in western NSW, the region hit hard by Covid-19 in 2021.

“We’ll be continuing to consult right around the country,” he said.

“When we talk at the Jobs and Skills Summit next week, we’ll be talking about employment of Indigenous Australians. We had a very low figure yesterday of the unemployment rate of 3.4 per cent, but we know that rate is far higher in some Indigenous communities.”

Mr Albanese said when consulting on the voice, his government needed to make sure people were not left behind.

“Next week, in particular, will be an opportunity to talk with business about Indigenous employment, and how that fits in as well to the voices that Indigenous people want,” he said.

In the Torres Strait, residents spoke to Mr Albanese and Ms Burney about their desire for meaningful constitutional recognition but also about the pressing matter of the troubled work-for-the-dole program called CDP. The Coalition was in the process of overhauling the CDP when it lost office.