First Nations Voice to Parliament

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:32): Supplementary: is Treaty and Truth likely to be implemented before or after the election? What are your plans there?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Deputy Premier, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (14:32): One thing I can say with some certainty is we will not be having a Treaty developed, consulted on, signed, before this election. In areas that I am aware of, such as provinces in Canada, some areas are decades into a Treaty process. I think in Victoria where Treaty is being discussed, that is the best part of I think it was seven or eight years to get to where they have got. Certainly, when we were looking at individual agreements with Aboriginal nations in the time of the Weatherill government, that was quite some time to develop that. So, no, I don't think there's any expectation that that process will be finalised before the election.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!