House debates Questions without Notice
Uluru Statement from the Heart: Treaty
Angus Taylor Hume, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer
2:50 pm
My question is to the Minister for Indigenous Australians. In July 2019, speaking about the matters that a federal treaty could cover, the minister said, 'It could be about fiscal arrangements.' Does the minister now stand by that statement?
Government mem bers interjecting—
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
What a joke!
Milton Dick Speaker
Order! The House will come to order so I can hear the Minister for Indigenous Australians.
Linda Burney Barton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians
I thank the member for Hume for his question. Let us be extraordinarily clear: the Voice will be a committee of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that will give advice. As the Prime Minister says, it is about the validity and the power of those ideas. The Voice will also include Indigenous Australians from every state and territory and the Torres Strait Islands, and representatives from the regions and remote communities. Members of the Voice will be chosen by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our local area and serve for a fixed period.
Milton Dick Speaker
The minister will pause. The member for Hume on a point of order.
Angus Taylor Hume, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer
On relevance, it was a very specific question about fiscal arrangements in a treaty and a statement that was made by the minister.
Milton Dick Speaker
Order! The minister for regional development will cease interjecting. The minister is a minute in. I'm going to ask her to return to the question and to make sure she's being directly relevant.
Linda Burney Barton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians
The Voice referendum is on 14 October, and I invite you to get onboard.