DAVID SPEERS, HOST: Linda Burney, welcome to the program.

LINDA BURNEY, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: Merry Christmas David.

DAVID SPEERS, HOST: And to you. Look, there's plenty of detail out there about how the Voice could work in the co-design final report from Professors Marcia Langton and Tom Calma produced in the last parliament. What we don't yet know is whether this is the model you would put to Parliament. Can you clarify that for us this morning?

PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER: This week caps off a year of achievement for the Albanese Government, which for us has only been six months. And, in that six months we've done more than, I would say, the Morrison Government were able to achieve in the entire time he was Prime Minister.

Today the Government introduced the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Amendment Bill 2022, to advance the Prime Minister’s commitment to hold a referendum to enshrine an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice in the Australian Constitution.

The Referendum Act is out of step with today’s electoral laws and does not reflect modern delivery and communications methods.

GREG JENNETT, HOST: Why don't we bring in our political panel? All for the day. And joining us, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Patrick Gorman is back. Welcome, Pat. And Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds is here to once again making up a West Australian contingent. So why don't we start Patrick Gorman with the censure. We just heard Paul Fletcher and Linda will, I'm sure, argue that this was completely unnecessary and entirely politically motivated.

The Albanese Government welcomes today's long-awaited native title settlement in Far North Queensland.

At a hearing on country on Thursday Island, the Federal Court formally recognised the native title rights of the Ankamuthi, Gudang Yadhaykenu, Kaurareg, Kemer Kemer Meriam and Kulkalgal peoples over land and sea in northern Cape York and the Torres Strait region.

This significant Traditional Owner-led settlement resolves seven separate and overlapping native title claims and draws upon Indigenous knowledge systems from across the Torres Strait and Cape York regions.

The 2022 Closing the Gap Annual Report shows signs of mixed progress on Closing the Gap targets.

Targets improving or "on track":

• Babies born with a healthy birthweight (89.5%)
• Children enrolled in preschool (96.7%)

Targets worsening or "not on track":

The 2022 Closing the Gap Annual Report shows signs of mixed progress on Closing the Gap targets.

Targets improving or "on track":

• Babies born with a healthy birthweight (89.5%)
• Children enrolled in preschool (96.7%)

Targets worsening or "not on track":

SARAH FERGUSON, HOST: In an unexpected move yesterday, the National Party announced its opposition to a Voice to Parliament. Party leader David Littleproud said ‘the Voice would make no practical difference to the lives of Indigenous Australians’. Coalition Senator Jacinta Price went further arguing the proposal is divisive and empowers so called urban elites. Linda Burney is the Minister for Indigenous Australians, I spoke to her earlier from Canberra. Linda Burney welcome to 7.30.

The Australian Government has secured the ongoing rehabilitation of the Ranger uranium mine in the Northern Territory, and the gradual return of the site to the Mirarr Traditional Owners, with Parliament passing legislation to continue government oversight of the clean-up project.

Today marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.

In Australia, one woman dies every 10 days at the hands of her former or current partner and one in three women has experienced violence by an intimate partner.