Labor’s national platform reveals treaty to be pursued this term of government

Labor vows to move ­towards a treaty with Indigenous Australians this term of parliament in the latest draft of its national platform to be taken to national conference.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in question time on Tuesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Labor has vowed to take steps ­towards a treaty with Indigenous Australians in this term of parliament in the latest draft of its ­national platform, as Anthony ­Albanese refuses to link a Makarrata commission and agreement-making with the referendum.

The Prime Minister and Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney are facing increased pressure from the Coalition to ­explain if they still support a treaty and the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full – after Mr Albanese declared on 2GB last month the voice was not about treaty – with senior Liberals questioning Ms Burney’s ability to remain minister.

The Australian can reveal Labor’s latest national platform draft, which will be taken to the party’s conference later this month, states: “Labor supports all elements of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, including a constitutionally enshrined voice to parliament, a Makarrata commission for agreement-making and a national process of truth-telling.

“Labor will take steps to ­implement all three elements of the Uluru Statement from the Heart in this term of ­government.”

The Australian understands the government is not planning to pursue the commission before the referendum to be held between October and December.

A Makarrata commission was envisaged by the Uluru Statement as an independent body to “oversee agreement-making and truth-telling”, with Ms Burney in February declaring further details on such processes and on the commission itself were imminent.

An earlier draft of Labor’s platform – which is compiled by a group of Labor MPs, party members and unionists known as the national policy forum – reinforced Labor’s commitment to implementing the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full, but did not include any time frame or specific reference to the Makarrata commission.

Both versions of the platform included a commitment to ensure First Nations people are provided the “opportunities to seek economic benefits from managing and leveraging treaty, native title and Aboriginal and Torres Strait ­Islander land”.

Ms Burney on Tuesday would not say if the government still supported a Makarrata commission to oversee agreement-making and truth-telling.

Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley asked twice in question time if the government still backed the commission and queried what exactly it would do, after the government committed $5.8m in last year’s October ­budget to commence work on establishing the independent body.

Ms Burney responded by saying the 2023 referendum was about constitutional recognition through a voice, prompting Speaker Milton Dick to invite her to return to Ms Ley’s question.

The Minister would not ­answer the question, instead quoting NRL legend Johnathan Thurston from the Yes pamphlet on the voice.

Ms Burney finished her ­answer with: “I say to Australians, vote Yes for unity, hope and to make a positive difference.”

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney in question time on Tuesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Ms Ley said Ms Burney’s failure to answer questions was “not acceptable and not the standard we should accept from a minister of any government”.

“Asked time and time again she refused to confirm if she was still committed to Makarrata, even as the taxpayer, at her direction, is ploughing millions of dollars into it,” she said.

Speaking later to Sky News, Ms Ley said: “I don’t think I’ve seen such an incompetent performance in my parliamentary lifetime.”

Peter Dutton also ramped up his attack against Mr Albanese over the voice, saying his credibility was at stake and he was conducting a “tricky tap dance” on the referendum.

The Opposition Leader told the Coalition party room the Prime Minister had made the commitment to the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full more than 34 times.

“The government clearly has to implement the whole of the Uluru Statement from the Heart,” the Opposition Leader told the joint partyroom.

“We all want better outcomes for Indigenous Australians but the voice is no guarantee that this will be delivered, and may indeed be a risk to effective government in the future. What the government’s proposing is not in our country’s best interests.”

Facing sustained questioning from the Coalition, Mr Albanese accused the No campaign of talking about things that were irrelevant to the referendum, saying it exposed the weakness of their case.

 

“If you believe that there is something wrong with the question that Australians will actually vote for between October and December this year, then put that case. But you are incapable of doing so,” Mr Albanese said.

“The No campaign continues to raise things that are not a part of the question that is before the Australian people. The (constitutional) question that was in legislation that the Leader of the Opposition sat over here and voted for, voted for it to be put to the Australian people.

“Over coming weeks and indeed months, the Australian people will have the opportunity to have their say; to embrace the opportunity that is there for recognition and for listening to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in order to achieve better outcomes. I say if not now, when? We need to embrace this opportunity to enlarge our nation by voting Yes.”

Ms Burney in February said the government was committed to implementing the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full, foreshadowing an announcement on the Makarrata commission within weeks.

“The Uluru Statement … asks for voice, treaty and truth. In the next couple of weeks we will be making announcements about a Makarrata commission and how we are going to advance treaty and truth,” she told a the ABC’s Party Room podcast.

In response to questions from The Australian on whether the government still supported a Makarrata commission, a spokesman for Ms Burney said: “the government’s focus is on the referendum and on achieving constitutional recognition through a voice”.

Greens First Nations spokeswoman, Dorinda Cox, said the government needed to make good on its promise at the election to establish a Makarrata commission.

“The government made a $27.7m election commitment to Makarrata and we expect them to follow through on that,” she said.

“We understand the government is committed to implementing the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full.”