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Anthony Albanese fires off a VERY cranky tweet as he’s hit with a list of 15 questions he ‘must’ answer about the Aboriginal Voice to Parliament

  • Peter Dutton pens open letter to the PM about Indigenous Voice to Parliament
  • Demanded answers to 15 questions about make-up and function of the proposal
  • Sparked angry response from Albanese, branded letter ‘cheap culture war stunt

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has slammed Peter Dutton after the Opposition Leader sent the PM a list of questions asking for detail about his proposed Aboriginal Voice to Parliament. 

Mr Albanese is hoping the country will support Labor’s proposed parliamentary advisory body at a referendum later this year, but the plan has come under fire for lacking an explanation of just how it would work. 

On Sunday, Mr Dutton accused the PM was treating Australians ‘like mugs’ and demanded Labor flesh out its plan by answering 15 questions about the make-up of the proposed Voice and its function.

Mr Albanese issued a furious tweet late on Sunday fuming about how Mr Dutton published his questions in an open letter to the media, when the pair had caught up and privately chatted at the cricket last week.

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Anthony Albanese (pictured with partner Jodie at the Boxing Day Test) hit back after the oppsosition leader fired off an open letter about

Anthony Albanese (pictured with partner Jodie at the Boxing Day Test) hit back after the oppsosition leader fired off an open letter about 

‘So even though I talked with Peter Dutton on Friday at the McGrath Foundation event, he gives a letter to multiple media outlets as ‘exclusive’ on constitutional recognition and the Uluṟu Statement- a letter I still haven’t seen,’ Mr Albanese tweeted.

‘People are over cheap culture war stunts.’

Mr Dutton hit back several hours later. 

‘You’ve had 7 months to answer questions. Friday at the McGrath Breast Cancer fundraiser wasn’t the place to discuss. Happy to talk anytime when you have the detail,’ he replied.

Mr Dutton said his letter was issued on behalf of millions of Aussies ‘who just want the detail’.

He claimed his rival was ‘making a catastrophic mistake’ by not providing ‘accessible, clear and complete’ information on the proposed Voice.

Mr Dutton added the government risked losing the referendum should they not let the public know exactly what it was voting for and believed the proposed voice will fail if questions aren’t answered.

‘People have got reasonable questions. There are many Australians if they had detail in front of them about a particular model, they could support the voice,’ Mr Dutton told reporters on Sunday.

‘You can’t just say to the Australian public as the prime minister, ‘you vote at an election … on a Saturday and we’ll give you the detail on the Monday’. It’s a very serious decision to change our Constitution.’

Dutton’s 15 questions about the Indigenous Voice to Parliament 

1. Who will be eligible to serve on the body

2. What are the prerequisites for nomination?

3. Will the Government clarify the definition of Aboriginality to determine who can serve on the body?

4.How will members be elected, chosen or appointed?

5. How many people will make up the body

6. How much will it cost taxpayers annually?

7. What are its functions and powers?

8. Is it purely advisory or will it have decision-making capabilities?

9. Who will oversee the body and ensure it is accountable?

10.If needed, can the body be dissolved and reconstituted in extraordinary circumstances?

11. How will the Government ensure that the body includes those who still need to get a platform in Australian public life?

12. How will it interact with the Closing of the Gap process?

13. Will the Government rule out using the Voice to negotiate any national treaty?

14. Will the Government commit to Local and Regional Voices, as recommended in the report on the co-design process led by Tom Calma and Marcia Langton? 

15.If not, how will it effectively address the real issues that impact people’s lives daily on the ground in the community? 

 

Mr Dutton said his major queries were how the advisory body would be composed, how it would function on a regional basis and how it would tackle issues in the most remote areas.

He said he had met regularly with the prime minister to discuss how the nation could best take forward Closing the Gap measures.

‘I’m grateful for the meetings we’ve had and he knows I am genuinely interested in advancing the cause of reconciliation,’ Mr Dutton said.

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‘It breaks my heart that in 2023 we can have young Indigenous kids being sexually assaulted on a regular basis.

‘But the PM has to explain how the voice will make it better for those kids, make it better for Indigenous people around the country.’

Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney addressed the perceived lack of detail last week, labelling the Liberals’ argument ‘rubbish’.

The prime minister issued a fiery response to Peter Dutton's list of 15 questions about the voice

The prime minister issued a fiery response to Peter Dutton’s list of 15 questions about the voice

The proposed referendum has sparked more questions than answers since it was unveiled in a landmark announcement in August.

At the recent GQ Man of the Year Awards in Sydney, Mr Albanese delivered a rousing speech, calling for the nation to enact the Voice to Parliament.

‘So, in 2023, you’re going to get a say. You’ll have the same vote that I do. Make sure that it counts,’ he addressed the crowd.

‘Make sure that you do something that will make you proud and that will make a difference to this country. It’s a huge risk and it’s a risk that First Nations elders are willing to take, because they’re sick of waiting for recognition. 

‘And a Voice to Parliament is simply that: It’s so they’re consulted on matters that affect them, but also means that our nation’s birth certificate is truly as it should be.’

Anthony Albanese (pictured with Indigenous minister Linda Burney) branded Peter Dutton's demands as a 'cheap culture war stunt'

Anthony Albanese (pictured with Indigenous minister Linda Burney) branded Peter Dutton’s demands as a ‘cheap culture war stunt’

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