What we learned, Sunday 31 July
That’s where we’ll leave our live blog for the day. Here’s a wrap up of the biggest developments:
- Indigenous leaders have started planning the next steps in their push for reconciliation following Anthony Albanese’s voice to parliament speech on Saturday.
- Tributes have continued to flow for singer-songwriter Archie Roach, with the Indigenous affairs minister Linda Burney describing Roach’s songs as ‘a source of healing’.
- A new tranche of files relating to former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro’s New York trade role will be released on Monday, with the state government expecting the inquiry into how the role was awarded to conclude within a fortnight.
- The AFL is investigating claims Carlton defender Adam Saad was racially abused by a fan at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
- The nation recorded 41 Covid deaths on Sunday as the death toll since the coronavirus pandemic began edges towards 12,000.
We’ll be back tomorrow.
Updated
A day after the prime minister Anthony Albanese made his historic voice to parliament speech at the Garma festival, AAP reports that Indigenous leaders have started planning the next steps in their push for reconciliation.
Indigenous Australians and Uluru Statement campaigners must come together with a clear strategy for moving forward, Uphold and Recognise chair Sean Gordon told the festival in Arnhem Land on Sunday.
They also need to consult same-sex marriage and republic campaigners for advice about raising awareness and funds ahead of a referendum on a voice to parliament.
Gordon told a forum on the festival’s third day:
It needs to be a clear, coordinated strategy and a way forward, otherwise we won’t have the success that we would like to think we’re going to have.
Gordon estimated the yes campaign would need about $20 million, saying much of that would need to come from non-Indigenous Australians, who make up 97 per cent of the population.
We now have to do that as Indigenous people and if we can’t, this thing’s dead in the water.
The former Liberal candidate and ALP national president Warren Mundine said a strong narrative was needed to bring people along on the journey.
He lauded the prime minister’s speech, saying “you could not argue with some of the words”.
But he warned that not all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders supported the voice plan.
I want something where the countrymen have their voice. I’m not convinced about [Mr Albanese’s recommendations]. We could do this with legislation. Why do we need to have it in the constitution?
Mundine also wants to know how the proposed voice would help Indigenous people reach the Closing the Gap targets.
He pleaded for the coming debate not to “descend to the margins where you’ve got people abusing people”.
You don’t want to bully people from either side. It’s about a conversation otherwise it defeats the purpose.
The Uluru Statement from the Heart leader Geoff Scott said the movement would like the referendum held as soon as possible to capitalise on the “enormous” goodwill built in recent months.
We’re ready and waiting. The real challenge is getting enough information for people to form their opinion.
In terms of timing, maybe late next year but the prime minister was smart not to nominate a date.
He’s still got to provide a level of information that gives comfort so that Australia supports this.
Updated
