Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton trade barbs over an Indigenous voice to parliament
Peter Dutton has broadened the No campaign’s attack against Anthony Albanese, attempting to link the PM’s competency and management of the referendum to delivering government services.
Peter Dutton has broadened the No campaign’s attack against Anthony Albanese and the Indigenous voice to parliament, attempting to link the Prime Minister’s competency and management of the referendum to delivering government services and cost-of-living relief.
After a week in which the Coalition continued to pressure the government over voice and treaty, Mr Albanese accused opponents of the advisory body of “confected outrage” and undermining Indigenous Australians to gain political advantage.
Both sides ratcheted up their campaigns in federal parliament as Yes23 on Friday launched a $1m digital advertising blitz – its biggest yet – with Indigenous Australians explaining why a voice to parliament will help their communities.
The new front in the political battle came as the younger brother of land rights giant Yunupingu prepared to welcome thousands of visitors to Northeast Arnhem Land at the Garma Festival with a prediction that Australia is about to change regardless of the result of the voice referendum.
“Together we will change the nation. One way or another the nation will change,” Djawa Yunupingu said.
It came as the Opposition Leader accused the Prime Minister of “deliberately and willingly” withholding information on the voice, and demanded detail not only on the advisory body but on a Makarrata Commission and the length and cost of a treaty-making process.
Mr Albanese fired back at Mr Dutton by questioning how the Coalition could stoke confusion over the referendum when it also supported a legislated voice.
“You can’t say that it will change the entire system of government and then say you will legislate the voice – because that is what you’re saying,” the Prime Minister said.
“You can’t say it will promote racial division and then say you will legislate for the voice … because clearly they don’t see it as radical or divisive or any of the other noise or confusion that they are seeking to inject into the referendum. Otherwise, why would they legislate?”
The clash followed a motion moved by Mr Dutton – which was voted down by 90 to 52 – condemning Mr Albanese “for his complete inability to be upfront and honest with the Australian people” on the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and attacking Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney for treating the parliament “with contempt by repeatedly and consistently failing to answer direct questions”.
Mr Dutton questioned if the Prime Minister had any coherent explanation to Australians as to how the voice would work, what outcomes it would deliver, its breadth, and how it would be interpreted by the High Court and change a system of government.
“Then perhaps there would be some chance of convincing those 29 per cent of Labor voters (who don’t support the voice), but the Prime Minister is deliberately and willingly withholding information from Labor voters and from the Australian public and that is why this situation goes from bad to worse,” Mr Dutton said.
“The Australian Prime Minister is seeking to divide this nation. That is what is happening here. The best case scenario of this incompetent Prime Minister’s approach to the voice is that you might get a 51-49 Yes outcome, bearing in mind that you need a double majority.
“That splits our country straight down the middle. No prime minister in good conscience would (preside) over such a process unless he was seeking political advantage or unless he was out of his depth.
“Australian families at the moment are paying more for their electricity bills; they’re paying more at the grocery checkout; they’re paying more for their insurance; they’re paying more for their mortgages because of this incompetent government. The incompetency is not just demonstrated in terms of the Prime Minister’s management around the voice, it is every aspect of government delivery at the moment. That’s what the Australian public is experiencing.”
In the most emotional part of his response, Mr Albanese labelled Mr Dutton more divisive than Scott Morrison and blasted him for walking out on the apology to the Stolen Generations.
“In the lead-up to this parliamentary sitting week we were told it was going to be about cost of living. But they have given up on cost of living and decided to stick with dividing,” Mr Albanese said.
“The Leader of the Opposition not only opposed it (the national apology), threatened to resign from the frontbench over it, and walked out. Walked out on that event.
“So terrible was it that in that moment of national unity, there were only a few people who were so determined to sew division that they just couldn’t cop the concept of saying sorry for the wrong thing being done, for children being stolen from mothers, fathers and grandparents, families and communities. Could not stomach it.”
The Yes campaign will spend at least $1m in the coming weeks promoting a series of short videos across its digital platforms that highlight how listening to local voices has delivered better outcomes in communities like Kununurra, Alice Springs and Halls Creek.
The campaign’s focus groups and research indicates Australians want to know what Indigenous people think about the voice but have still only heard from politicians so far and are absorbing politics, not information, about the referendum.
In one of the ads, Yura Yungi Medical Service Aboriginal Corporation chief executive Brenda Garstone says: “It’s really, really important for Aboriginal people to lead in health because we understand our people, we are able to build trust really quickly. A lot of our people are in need of immediate health treatment and we can’t wait around to build trust so that at the end of the day our mob will get a great health service.”
Viewers then see the words: “A voice will allow local solutions to be heard nationally.”
Mr Yunupingu offered a message of hope and unity in his first year as host of Garma, which was founded 24 years ago by his late brother, now known for cultural reasons as Yunupingu, the Gumatj clan leader, and Dr M Yunupingu, the Yothu Yindi musician, who died in 2013.
Djawa Yunupingu likened the referendum to a fire that could cleanse or do harm. Fire was Yunupingu’s totem.
“It’s a moment in time that offers the promise of a new world,” he said. “The brilliance of a fire that lights up the land, cleanses the past and creates new life and new opportunity. Or the fire that leaves charcoal, white ash and a memory of what might have been. I choose the fire that burns bright and lights the way to unity with our ancient southern land.”
The Albanese government will announce $6.4m to support the Yothu Yindi Foundation’s design and development of a new tertiary and vocational educational facility to be known as the Garma Institute.
Consultations with community and stakeholders about the curriculum offered in the new facility will begin at this year’s Garma Festival.
Mr Dutton will not attend Garma for the second year in a row. Opposition Indigenous Affairs spokeswoman Jacinta Nampijinpa Price attended Garma last year but will not be there this weekend.
Yunupingu played a role in every chapter of the Indigenous rights movement, and part of the festival will be devoted to honouring how he transformed Garma into an important forum for discussions on Indigenous affairs and public policy.
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