Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Hanson for her question. I think the first and primary answer to that question is that, at the last election, the Labor Party listened to those people who had advocated on behalf of the Uluru Statement from the Heart—people like my very good friend here, Patrick Dodson, and like Jana Stewart over there, amongst very many other significant members of the Labor Party—to try and deal with the issue of Indigenous recognition through a Voice to the Australian parliament. That process wasn't developed overnight; it took place over a long period of time. We took that proposition to the Australian people at the last election, and the Australian people made a decision about who they wanted to govern this country. As soon as we got into government, because they elected us as the government, we undertook to implement the promise that we had taken to the election. You talk about promises. We took a promise to the Australian people, and we have sought to implement that promise. I have to say that I have been disappointed with the opposition in their approach so far to simple things like the machinery bill that could start the process of implementing the— (Time expired)