Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Professor Megan Davis, a key member of the Prime Minister's referendum working group, has said:

The Uluru Statement from the Heart isn't just the first one-page statement; it's actually a very lengthy document of about 18 to 20 pages.

Does the Prime Minister agree?

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Moreton is warned. I couldn't hear the deputy leader's question because of the member for Moreton's interjections. I can't be clearer: no-one is to interject while questions are being asked. The deputy leader will restate her question.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Professor Megan Davis, a key member of the Prime Minister's referendum working group, has said:

The Uluru Statement from the Heart isn't just the first one-page statement; it's actually a very lengthy document of about 18 to 20 pages …

Does the Prime Minister agree?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the deputy leader for continuing to ask questions about this conspiracy that's been out there for a long period of time. Megan Davis said: 'There's been a lot of news this week that the Uluru statement is 26 pages long, but it's one page. That's the statement. That is what we issued to the Australian people.' Indeed, this conspiracy has been around for a while. There was an ABC News Fact Check article headed—and I wonder who they got this off: 'Pauline Hanson claims list of Indigenous "demands" found via FOI shows "dangers" of a Voice to Parliament. What's actually in the documents?' I table the RMIT ABC Fact Check from 21 April 2023 that found that it was a nonsense. I table the AAP FactCheck article headed 'Email misleads with "secret voice documents" claim' from 21 April 2023. But here, in August, they reheat a conspiracy theory based on absolute nonsense. This is what one of their friends has had to say:

The very documents Credlin has been highlighting, has been claiming are secret, have been public all along … Not new, not hidden, not a secret statement. They are not proof of some bizarre—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will just pause a moment. The member for Petrie, I'm not sure what you're doing, but you will just cease the interjections for the time being. Order! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition on a point of order.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I seek leave to table the document, the 'Henry Parkes oration 2018', and page 8, where Professor Davis states, 'The Uluru Statement from the Heart is a very lengthy document of 18 to 20 pages.'

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

During an answer is not the time. You're welcome to do it when the Prime Minister concludes his answer.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Mr Speaker. As Chris Kenny told Sky News last night, six years ago the Referendum Council took these background papers and published them in a report. Who was in government six years ago? Who was in government? Who set up the Referendum Council? So this is a conspiracy. Tony Abbott establishes a referendum council, it does the work leading up to 2017, they publish a report online and give it to the government that was in office in 2017.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Nationals will cease interjecting.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's been available online ever since 2017, but we've covered it up! For goodness's sake. You couldn't make this up. As Chris Kenny said, no-one needed an FOI to get this stuff; that's how uncontroversial it is. Then Scott Morrison was Prime Minister for four years. Did Scott Morrison, too, just pretend that the Uluru statement was one page long and conspire to hide the full Uluru statement? This is absolute conspiracy and nonsense that shows they have become a fringe political party. They're making One Nation look like a mainstream political party with this nonsense.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Fisher is warned.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mark Leibler made it clear last night: 'I was at Uluru for the national convention and witnessed the adoption of the statement. It was one page.'

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to table the document and refer members to page 8, which demonstrates the 18 to 20 pages of length of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. I remind the Prime Minister to refer to those pages in light of the fact that he never answers a single—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You may resume your seat. The deputy leader just needs to seek to table the document, which she has done. She's entitled to do that.

The member for Moreton will leave the chamber under 94(a).

The member for Moret o n then left the chamber.

The Leader of the House.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The document has been on the internet for six years. Leave is not granted.