A bill that’s the first step towards creating an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament in Australia has been introduced into the lower house.
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus moved the legislation to amend the constitution right after Parliament’s Thursday session opened at 9am.
“Constitutional recognition is an opportunity to acknowledge our history and come together for a more reconciled future,” Dreyfus said.
After Dreyfus finished speaking, the government side and most of the crossbench rose to give a standing ovation.
The mostly empty opposition side of the chamber remained seated.
Afterwards, Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney told reporters the referendum was “not about lawyers, it’s about the Australian people having a say”.
“There will always be those who seek to hold us back, those doubters, those wreckers,” Burney said.
“They want to hold Australia back. Well, we want to take Australia forward.”
In his speech to Parliament, Dreyfus said the Albanese government had been elected on a promise to hold a referendum to enshrine the Voice in the constitution.
“With the introduction of this bill, the government is taking the first formal step to honour this commitment, a commitment we’ve made not just to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, but to all Australians,” Dreyfus said.
“The constitutional amendment in this bill will rectify over 120 years of explicit exclusion in provisions of Australia’s founding legal document.”
The legislation says the Voice “may make representations to the Parliament and the executive government of the Commonwealth on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples”.
It also says: “Parliament shall, subject to this constitution, have power to make laws with respect to matters relating to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, including its composition, functions, powers and procedures”.
Dreyfus, Burney, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, and Senator Patrick Dodson said in a joint statement earlier on Thursday morning that the upcoming referendum on the Voice would be a “historic opportunity” to recognise First Nations peoples.
“The Voice is about two things: recognition and consultation,” the statement said.
The Liberal – National Party Coalition is no longer a party worth serious consideration.
Was it not ever thus?
Oh, I dunno.
Looking back, Fraser wasn’t nearly as bad as this Bunch of losers.
And the NT Land rights legislation came in during Fraser’s time.
After leaving office, even Fraser acknowledged that the LNP had moved away from it’s founding principles, so I allowed him an honourable exclusion…………………
Possibly the last Liberal PM with even a vague concept of honour.
Frazer was enlightened later on. ‘Dangerous Allies’ was a substantial book about the American Alliance. But before that? He was the prick who connived with the drunken GG to dethrone Gough. Honour, not! Despite my admiration for the older Fraser, I still appreciate the memory of him blubbing on his electoral defeat.
I sometimes wonder what might have been if Hewson had not lost narrowly to Keating in the “one for the true believers” election. Hewson’s demise opened the door for the hard right and Howard’s awful legacy
The Coalition has a death wish by continuing to willingly reveal themselves as jerks lacking in judgement & sensitivity. They also lack basic manners by being absent for a Bill of such national significance whether they agree with it or not. The occasion was important – that they cannot grasp this is evidence they collectively lack political & emotional maturity.
The Coalition regularly reminds the electorate how dreadful they were in government.
Did not even have the integrity to show up and vote against it as was their blatantly obvious belief…………
…………same like running away rather than vote against Marriage Equality.
You sure wouldn’t want any of them on your side in a fight.
Some of the LNP might be more interested in a motion that it’s OK to be white. Oh, wait, they already voted for that in the Senate and then said it was a mistake because they got the wrong email.
They seem committed to being on the wrong side of public opinion and history, through the influence of poisonous political tactics imported from the US; oppose or break everything, whatever it takes including ethical and moral bypasses.
Guardian Australia reported that Russell Broadbent, alone on the Opposition benches, applauded Dreyfus’s speech introducing the Bill.
Dutton did not even enter the HoR chamber for the introduction of this Bill which is the first step parliamentary towards the Voice. So much for his apology for his failure to attend the apology speech delivered by former PM Rudd.
Bridget Archer didn’t join him? Disappointing – I had her pegged for better.
Sorry – my statement was a little ambiguous. Broadbent was not alone on the Opposition benches – a handful of others were present – not sure if they included Bridget Archer. But Broadbent was the only Opposition member who applauded the speech A-G Dreyfus made when introducing the Bill. In comparison the Government benches and the cross benchers accorded the A-G a standing ovation.
Bridget Archer was there.
After all the negotiations just to get this far the Opposition doesn’t show up: two days before an
Important by-election. This is the Robodebt crowd bludgiing on taxpayer dollars.
This subject and the Aston by election will be Dutton’s undoing. He can’t even bring himself to openly oppose something he thinks might work to his advantage. He looks more and more irrelevant every passing day.