On Friday 28 October 2022, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Special Envoy for Reconciliation and the Implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and the Attorney General met with the Referendum Working Group (the Group).

The Group started the meeting by acknowledging the death of Cassius Turvey, 15-year old Noongar boy who passed away in tragic circumstances in Perth this week.

PATRICIA KARVELAS, HOST: The latest Closing the Gap Report in July found the majority of targets weren’t close to being met. And the budget outlines some funding measures, for funding a referendum, for a Makarrata, that are worth discussing with Linda Burney, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, welcome back to breakfast.

LINDA BURNEY, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: Good morning, how are you?

PAUL ALLEN, HOST: I am joined by Katy Gallagher, the Finance Minister for Australia on the day after the Budget was handed down. And Minister, thank you so much for joining us. And we just heard from the Treasurer, Jim Chalmers there, also Angus Taylor, the Shadow Treasurer, describing some of the macro conditions that the whole world is facing, really, in terms of rising inflation, the war in Ukraine, what's the best approach here? Do you make cuts or, do you reform taxation?

KARL STEFANOVIC: Well, just five months after coming into power off the back of a fierce election campaign fought largely on cost of living, the Albanese Government handed down its first Budget last night, painting a pretty grim picture of the economy. For a closer look at what impact the budget will have on Western Australia, I want to bring in Federal Member for Perth, Patrick Gorman in Canberra. Patrick, good morning to you. Thanks for your time this morning. It seems that mentions of Western Australia and Perth were scant in this budget.

The Albanese Labor Government is delivering on its election commitments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians by improving programs and services and investing in self-determination.

This Budget makes our commitment to First Nations people real.

On election night, the Prime Minister made it clear that he would implement the Uluru Statement from the Heart, in full. This Budget delivers on that promise with:

The Albanese Labor Government is delivering on its election commitments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians by improving programs and services and investing in self-determination.

This Budget makes our commitment to First Nations people real.

On election night, the Prime Minister made it clear that he would implement the Uluru Statement from the Heart, in full. This Budget delivers on that promise with:

Australian women are front and centre of Labor's first budget, as the Albanese Government begins the job of delivering on our election commitment to make Australia a world leader on gender equality.

Improving women’s economic quality was a central part of the discussions at the Jobs and Skills Summit and this is the first Budget where the Labor Government can demonstrate that we are serious about delivering on our promises.

This Budget will deliver:

I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land on which we gather, the Wadjuk people of the Nyoongar nation, and pay my respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

Extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with us here today.

Thanks to Matt for the introduction.

And to Kate O’Hara and Charles Kobelke for bringing us all together.

Like the people in this room, those of us in the Albanese understand addressing poverty is a complex challenge.

TOM CONNELL, HOST: Welcome back. It's a budget that is going to recognise there are cost of living issues whilst realistically doing much to address them. So how should you be feeling about it at home? Joining me live is Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Patrick Gorman. Thanks very much for your time. It was the biggest pledge, I think the most noteworthy one for Labor, to get real wages growth going. Quite a few months in, they're going to plummet, essentially, and be way behind inflation for a while.

LIAM BARTLETT, HOST: I wanted to talk about the Federal Government and the budget from the Federal Treasurer, I beg your pardon, coming up tomorrow, tomorrow afternoon, Perth time. But I can confirm something for you today ahead of the official release tomorrow. Now, the Finance Minister, Katy Gallagher, has been trawling through a list of government grants made under Scott Morrison and has reportedly identified up to $2 billion in projects promised, in her words, as an attempt to win votes by politicising grants funds.