Linda Burney silent on Indigenous treaty and truth-telling

Linda Burney has left out reference to the Uluru Statement from the Heart from her priorities for this year.

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Linda Burney has left out reference to the Uluru Statement from the Heart from her priorities for Indigenous affairs this year and is instead focusing on practical measures to reduce ­Indigenous disadvantage.

While a constitutionally enshrined voice to parliament failed to pass a referendum last year, the Indigenous Australians Minister gave no indication if and when the government would pursue other key aspects of the Uluru statement, such the establishment of a Makarrata commission to oversee treaty-making and truth-telling processes.

The government has previously flagged unlegislated local and regional voices as a way ­forward, but Ms Burney did not mention the idea in comments on the government’s plans for Indigenous Australians in 2024.

“The Albanese government is getting on with the job of building a better future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians,” she said.

“Our priorities are the priorities identified by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: health, education, jobs, housing and justice.

“We are working together with First Nations communities on a range of significant reforms like replacing the Community Development Program with real jobs, real wages and proper conditions and improving housing.”  With the government under pressure to unveil new policies, given it is understood Labor will not have legislation on Indigenous affairs in the first parliamentary sitting fortnight, Ms Burney promised she was progressing with several important changes.

“We’re expanding access to dialysis for people with kidney disease and rolling out our landmark justice reinvestment program,” she said.

“We are laser-focused on making progress on closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.”

The Productivity Commission will hand down its report into progress on Closing The Gap on Wednesday, while the government will release its report on the matter next week.

Greens leader Adam Bandt said Australia needed clarity on what the government would do on truth-telling and treaty.

“A version of that process is going on in Victoria at the ­moment and it’s work that can and should start now … It’s incredibly disappointing that there’s no plan coming from the government to progress (this),” Mr Bandt said.

Opposition Indigenous Australians spokeswoman Jacinta Nampijinpa Price accused the government of having “no plan to address Indigenous disadvantage”, with the Coalition expected to continue pushing for audits into Indigenous organisations given federal funding.

Uphold and Recognise chair, Sean Gordon, said the lack of a clear plan B to the voice was “unfortunate” and that he didn’t understand the reason behind it.

“Given the passing of Lowitja O’Donoghue … I dare say there will be a very strong focus on honouring Lowitja … but it’s not a good sign of the government on her legacy. She was a strong advocate for governments to come up with real solutions,” he said.

Labor will present other pieces of legislation this week, with its contentious industrial relations bill and reformed tax cuts expected to dominate parliament.

It will also table bills aimed at strengthening criminal justice ­responses to sexual violence, cracking down on fraud in the VET sector and amending the ­National Redress Scheme for Institutionalised Child Sexual Abuse Act to give greater protections and rights to victim survivors.

The Coalition and the Greens are expected to move amendments to the redress bill, while pressing Labor on the time frame of other legislation such as the Help to Buy scheme, religious freedom and misinformation.