The new minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy has said the Albanese government is not moving away from its commitment to the Uluru statement from the heart, following fears it will abandon the establishment of a Makarrata commission.
McCarthy’s comments follow an interview given by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on ABC’s Insiders, where he appeared to stop short of committing to the establishment of a Makarrata commission to lead truth-telling about Indigenous history.
“That’s not what we have proposed,” Albanese said in the interview. “What we’ve proposed is Makarrata just being the idea of coming together.”
“It means engaging with native titleholders. It means engaging with First Nations people right around the country. There are different needs depending upon whether people are in urban communities like my electorate.”
Albanese made the comments from the Garma festival over the weekend, the country’s largest Indigenous gathering and a four-day celebration of Yolngu life and culture.
Makarrata is one of three key pillars of the Uluru statement from the heart, alongside an Indigenous voice to parliament and treaty. The statement calls for a national Makarrata Commission to “supervise a process of agreement-making between governments and First Nations and truth-telling about our history”.
Senator McCarthy downplayed Albanese’s comments on Monday morning and called for calm over the issue.
“When I was at Gulkula in Arnhem Land beside the prime minister, that’s clearly not what I heard,” Senator McCarthy told News Breakfast.
“I would caution everyone to just calm down, that this has been a significant weekend at Garma. We are not moving away from our commitment to the Uluru statement from the heart in terms of our love and our support for all of those who gathered there in 2017. What I would say to all Australians is that First Nations people need time,” Senator McCarthy said.
“The prime minister made that commitment on election night … I’m saying that the interpretation of what the prime minister said has been taken completely further than what it was meant to.”
A Makaratta commission was among one of Labor’s policies prior to the 2022 federal election. The government also allocated $5.8 million to its establishment in its first federal budget.
“The Government will provide $5.8 million over 3 years from 2022–23 to commence work on establishing an independent Makarrata Commission to oversee processes for agreement making and truth telling,” the budget papers said.
McCarthy said many Indigenous people were recovering from the defeat of referendum.
“What I would say to all Australians is that First Nations people need time,” McCarthy said.
“I know in my new role as the minister for Indigenous Australians, I now have to make sure I canvas right across the country where other First Nations people are at.”
Pat Anderson, the Uluru Dialogue co-chair, said Albanese’s comments over the weekend were “confusing”.
“Is he rolling back on the Labor election commitment to the Makarrata commission? We understand that a constitutional Voice didn’t get up, but the Australian people didn’t vote on truth or treaty,” she said in a statement.
“Makarrata is not a vague vibe or a series of casual conversations.”