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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-02-21 Daily Xml
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Uluru Statement from the Heart

Ms HUTCHESSON (Waite) (14:12): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier advise the house about the consultation process to deliver on our commitment to the Uluru Statement from the Heart and any related matters he is aware of?

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:12): I want to thank the member for Waite for the question and I appreciate her efforts to ensure that as a state we come together to do something wholeheartedly good for the nation, because this government is committed to delivering a Voice to the state parliament which was something that used to enjoy bipartisan support. It used to enjoy bipartisan support. I must say that I have been somewhat surprised today to learn that those opposite have decided to withdraw bipartisan support for the Voice to Parliament.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier has the call.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: The interjections run thick and fast.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Morialta is on three warnings.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: No, that is not right.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Heysen knows better. The Premier has the call.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: Whatever the interjections are of those opposite, here is something that I can say with a degree of confidence, notwithstanding the fact that I am not in a position to prejudge the outcome of decisions in another place, but should a piece of legislation come into this chamber for a Voice to the parliament, there will be a vote.

An honourable member: There is one.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: There will be a vote, and on this side of the house we will be supporting it. We will be supporting it.

The SPEAKER: Premier, there is a point of order from the member for Morialta.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Sir, the Premier seems to be anticipating debate on Order of the Day No. 7 listed for tomorrow.

The SPEAKER: I will listen carefully.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Florey, order! Well known for his interjections he may be, but they are contrary to the standing orders. I will listen carefully. I have the point of order well in mind: some context is permissible but no breach of the standing orders is.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: We understand today that the opposition have decided to oppose the government's bill for establishing a Voice to Parliament and one of the reasons that was cited was process and consultation. I think it is an important moment to outline to the house exactly the process that has delivered the bill that is currently before the other place.

First and foremost, on 4 July the Malinauskas government announced the appointment of a Kaurna, Narungga and Ngarrindjeri man, Dale Agius, as the state's inaugural Commissioner for First Nations Voice. Then on 29 August 2022, Commissioner Agius holds his first in-person consultation session. On 8 September last year, the Attorney-General met with the member for Heysen to discuss the Voice to Parliament.

Then on 9 November, the draft First Nations Voice Bill was released publicly by Commissioner Agius for consultations. Following that draft bill being released back in November, there was a further round of consultation that commenced on the back of that bill—back in November. Then on 24 January, the Attorney-General met with the member for Heysen to discuss the Voice to Parliament. We are now August through to January.

Then on 7 February, announcement of the final Voice to Parliament model was provided to the member for Heysen along with Commissioner Agius's final report, along with answers to Peter Dutton's 15 questions on the Voice, along with 42 written submissions that were made on the draft bill. Do you know how many draft submissions came from those opposite? None. Not one draft submission and not one serious piece of engagement. So, having started the process—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for West Torrens, member for Chaffey! The Premier has the call.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: There may be an opportunity to talk about this more in due course, but having had the opportunity going right back to the middle of last year to engage with this process, there has been no evidence of a wholehearted or genuine exercise on behalf of those opposite—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —which has led us to an incredibly disappointing moment where the opposition have changed their position, as they are well entitled to do, but not in a way that accords with the best interest of Indigenous affairs in the state, and for that they will be judged accordingly.

The SPEAKER: The Premier's time has expired.

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