Anthony Albanese’s failure to deliver on his election night promise to implement the Uluru Statement from the Heart and win support for a voice has left the government devoid of ideas and leadership on Indigenous policy.
Almost eight months since the Prime Minister’s voice referendum was rejected by 60 per cent of Australians, the government has provided zero details on the way forward and how Labor will Close the Gap.
In a major speech last Friday marking his government’s second year anniversary, Albanese did not mention the words voice, referendum, Indigenous, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The May 14 budget, which redirected $20m set aside for local and regional voices and offered no update on a Makarrata Commission, revealed little in terms of the an Indigenous reform agenda.
Gripped with political paralysis and worried about re-engaging during a cost-of-living crisis, the government is running from Labor’s enduring commitment to accelerate Indigenous empowerment and self-determination.
In his election night speech, Albanese pleaded with Australians to answer the “patient, gracious call for a voice enshrined in our Constitution”, adding: “On behalf of the Australian Labor Party, I commit to the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full. Together we can embrace the Uluru Statement from the Heart.”
The commitment fell apart on October 14. Despite polling showing the voice was set for defeat, Albanese ignored pleas to reset and change course to salvage the vote. With the voice lost, Albanese was left with treaty and truth.
Frustrated Indigenous leaders are pleading for truth from Albanese on whether he will walk away from a truth-telling and agreement-making commission.
The Albanese government, which boasted it would be transparent, has consistently used Freedom of Information Act exemptions to block the release of briefings and decision-making.
With Indigenous leaders struggling to get any clear answers from the government, The Australian lodged an FOI application asking simple questions about the future of the Makarrata Commission, funding arrangements and communications between ministers’ offices and the National Indigenous Australians Agency. Claiming cabinet in-confidence and other exemptions, the NIAA provided a handful of heavily redacted email chains. It did confirm that $632,616 of the $5.8m allocated over three years in the October 2022 budget had been spent on preparations for a Makarrata Commission.
Albanese is under pressure to make some big decisions less than a year from the election. Peter Dutton has promised a significant Coalition Indigenous election policy, being finalised by Jacinta Price and Kerrynne Liddle.
Albanese, who has left open the door to a reshuffle amid speculation Linda Burney will quit politics, must appoint a new Indigenous Australians minister to urgently draw up Labor’s election reform plan.
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