Albo under fire over ‘fuzzy’ Makarrata vow

Anthony Albanese’s commitment to a Makarrata commission to oversee treaty and truth-telling following the failure of the Voice referendum is being questioned, saying his government’s commitment hadn’t changed.

On election night in 2022, Mr Albanese vowed to implement the three pillars of the Uluru from the Heart statement – Voice, Treaty and Truth.

But after Australians overwhelmingly voted against enshrining an Indigenous Voice in the constitution at last October’s referendum, the government has been quiet on the next moves.

When asked on ABC Insiders where his commitment on implementing the three pillars, Mr Albanese said “Treaty” was still being carried out at the state and territory levels.

And he said he was committed to the Makarrata process but stumbled when pressed on the details.

“With regard to Makarrata – a Yolngu word that simply means a coming together after struggle – I’m somewhat perplexed at why people see that as being complex,” he said.

“Obviously, there has been a struggle for First Nations people.

“Coming together is a principle of walking together. That engagement, it’s not a moment in time, it’s a process of coming together after struggle.”

He then brushed off a recommendation by Pat Anderson, an Indigenous rights activist key in drafting the Uluru Statement, to set up a “Truth and Justice Commission”.

“What we’ve proposed is Makarrata just being the idea of coming together,” Mr Albanese.

Katie Kiss, the newly appointed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander justice commissioner, told the ABC a Makarrata commission was “necessary”.

“Makarrata is much more than just a synonym for treaty. It is a complex Yolngu word describing a process of conflict resolution, peacemaking and justice,” she said.

“Makarrata is about coming together, but also about the rules of engagement and how we work in partnership to achieve the practical outcomes that people keep saying they want to achieve.

“I think while it’s all nice and fuzzy language about coming together, it needs to be much more than that.”

Mr Albanese later told reporters in Cowra, in central western NSW on Sunday, he was still committed to a Makarrata process, insisting his policy had not changed.

“We’ve said Makarrata is a process where we’re talking through what the nature of that process is,” Mr Albanese told reporters in Cowra on Sunday.

“It is important that we come together.”

Scrutiny over the prime minister’s policy position was sparked by his inability to detail how his government would pursue Makarrata during an interview aired earlier on Sunday.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton gave a scathing review of Mr Albanese’s comments, telling reporters in Perth the Prime Minister was “starving” people of details needed “to get a better understanding of what he’s proposing.”

“The prime minister can’t be trusted here,” Mr Dutton said.

“We need practical solutions for people in Alice Springs and Laverton and Leonora.”