Voice to Parliament: Peter Dutton walks back Indigenous recognition commitment days after referendum
KEY POINTS:
- Coalition leader Peter Dutton has walked back a pledge to recognise Indigenous Australians in the constitution.
- Dutton says Australians are “over” the referendum process.
- Labor frontbencher Richard Marles concedes the constitutional path is closed.
Jacinta Price wouldn’t reveal whether Peter Dutton consulted her on the idea of a second referendum before he aired it publicly. Source: AAP / Jono Searle
“Look, all of our policy … is going to be reviewed in the process that (Coalition spokesperson for child protection and the prevention of family violence) Kerrynne Liddle and Jacinta will lead now. I think that’s important, but I think it’s clear the Australian public is probably over the referendum process for some time,” he told reporters.
Australians soundly rejected the Voice on Saturday, with all states and the NT voting No.
“Quite the opposite; people want to support, in a practical way, those living in regional and remote areas,” he said.
Catchment areas where Indigenous Australians made up more than half of voters are thought to have backed the Voice by over 60 per cent, while nearly three-quarters of voters in Price’s NT community of Yuendumu voted Yes.
“I think moving forward, our focus needs to be on really putting an even greater effort on closing the gap and on reconciliation. I don’t take yesterday or the weekend’s vote as any vote against those objectives.”
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/days-after-voice-vote-peter-dutton-waters-down-indigenous-recognition-commitment/t5or4hzpz Voice to Parliament: Peter Dutton walks back Indigenous recognition commitment days after referendum
