Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has shifted his Indigenous affairs agenda to one focused on economic empowerment and jobs, arguing Aboriginal people deserve greater control and access in clean energy, defence and security projects, while also declaring he remains committed to the Uluru Statement’s idea of a Makarrata.

After the bruising defeat of the Voice referendum last year, the prime minister returned on Saturday to the Garma Festival on Yolŋu Country to tell Indigenous elders and leaders that while he understands the profound pain in the Aboriginal community over the referendum defeat, his government is still committed to Makarrata — one of the three pillars of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which has been in doubt.

Since the defeat of the Voice to Parliament in October last year, Labor has been muted on its plan to move forward with the Uluru Statement’s other elements.

The prime minister told the audience in Arnhem Land aspirations for a better future “did not end last October”.

“We remain committed to Makarrata, that powerful Yolŋu word gifted to the nation, for a coming together after a struggle” he said.

“And we will continue to engage in good faith with leaders and communities to decide what the next steps should be at a national level.”

While not outlining what this national process will look like, or a time frame for how Makarrata will be delivered, the prime minister welcomed state and territory governments working to advance treaties, agreement-making and truth-telling processes.

“Our government supports these efforts, we want to see them succeed – and we will give them the time and space to do so.”

It comes after Opposition Leader Peter Dutton doubled down on his opposition to Makarrata on the opening day of Garma.

“Under a government I lead there will be no Makarrata,” he told reporters in Perth on Thursday.

“There will be no revisiting of truth-telling. The $450 million the government wasted in the Voice was an outrage.”

Opportunities in renewables, rare earths

Explaining his economic empowerment pivot, the prime minister argued that ongoing progress “remains at the mercy of political uncertainty”.

“Changing this, building true and lasting self-determination, requires economic security.”

Mr Albanese said that global demand for renewable energy, critical minerals and rare earths represents an unprecedented opportunity and “the best chance Australia has ever had to bring genuine self-determination and lasting economic empowerment to remote communities”.

In a speech designed to send a powerful message to Indigenous Australia that the government will not abandon First Nations communities, Mr Albanese said his government went into the Voice referendum and “campaigned on the basis of conviction, not out of convenience”, alluding to the political cost of embarking on a referendum that damaged his standing after a long polarising year which coincided with a cost of living crisis.

“Together, we gave our all. And we fell short,” he said.

“I understand, particularly for those who had dedicated years of their life to this cause, the pain is still raw.

“And I have not returned to Garma today to talk about what might have been.

“I have not come back to this place of fire, to rake through the ashes.

“I am here because my optimism for a better future still burns.”

He said that the purpose of seeking advice from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people — the idea behind the defeated Voice to Parliament model — was derived from the belief that no government, no prime minister, no parliament “has all the answers”.

“My colleagues and I do not pretend to have discovered them now,” he said.

“Instead, we want to work with you – with new ambition, energy and determination – to find a new way forward.”

Mr Albanese said the new economic agenda will be built on the principle that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people deserve a real say in the economic development “of the land you call home”.

“And you deserve your fair share of the benefits that flow from it,” he said.

“By partnering with locals from the beginning, we can avoid the exploitation and injustices of the past.”

‘You have kept the faith’

Seeking bipartisanship after a bruising polarisation in Aboriginal affairs, the prime minister argued that despite the divergence of views, “no-one can make a case for the economic and social status quo”.

“No-one can credibly argue that recognising the great privilege of sharing this continent with the world’s oldest continuous culture, should not be reflected in our nation’s founding document,” he will say, reflecting the view that stripped back recognition of Indigenous people in the constitution without a voice is more widely supported in the community.

He announced that his economic agenda will span the whole of government, creating a new First Nations Economic Partnership with the Coalition of Peaks. The Coalition of Peaks represent groups that work towards closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

“And I have made it clear to both my Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and Treasury to get right behind these efforts.”

On his Future Made in Australia Act, he said he wants government investment to drive engagement between businesses and communities, to maximise local jobs and long-term benefits.

And he wants to see the same commitment in the First Nations Clean Energy Strategy being developed with the states and territories.

“We want projects generating renewable energy on country, to bring new economic power to communities.”

He said that more than 270 native title bodies don’t have the resources to engage in commercial negotiations.

“Part of our Future Made in Australia agenda are reforms to clear red tape and create a new ‘front door’ to accelerate and co-ordinate transformational investment.

“If we can do this for industry and companies, we must do it for Indigenous communities.”

The government will partner with the First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance to create a central point of contact in communities to connect traditional owners and investors.

This is being led by First Nations peoples, joined-up with all the land councils, the National Native Title Council and other relevant Indigenous organisations.

And to bring this same economic empowerment to cities and regional centres, the government will boost the investment, borrowing and lending power of Indigenous Business Australia to drive higher rates of First Nations home ownership and lift investment in Indigenous businesses and employers.

The pivot to the economy is a sign that the government sees the pathway to treaty and truth as more fraught and politically divisive, and is instead putting its energies into efforts that can lift more Aboriginal Australians out of poverty.

And while this policy is closer to the framework of the opposition that has opposed treaty, truth and constitutional recognition, because of its focus on clean energy and the Future Made in Australia, which is not supported by the Coalition — it leaves significant policy differences between the major parties.

“You have kept the fire burning,” Mr Albanese said.

“You have kept the faith.

“And my government will keep faith with you.

“My colleagues and I came to Garma to renew our commitment to a better future for First Nations people.

“We will leave here more determined than ever to bring it into being.

“So with new urgency, new purpose and new co-operation.”

Source” https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-02/anthony-albanese-garma-voice-referendum/104172090