The Albanese Government is taking action to turn the tide on the appalling rates of incarceration and deaths in custody of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians by delivering on our commitment to establish real-time reporting.

It has been 32 years since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, yet the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people dying in prisons and police custody remains a national shame.

ADAM SHIRLEY, HOST: Federal Minister for the Public Service and Minister of Finance, Katy Gallagher, a very good morning to you.

SENATOR THE HON KATY GALLAGHER: Good morning, Adam.

SHIRLEY: Reflect on that text and the public sentiment, it would seem, on the Big Four, the money they get paid by government to do their work?

Acknowledgements  

I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we gather, the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation.

I pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

Because this always has been, and forever will be, Aboriginal land.

I am honoured to be here on behalf of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

And I am proud that our Government has held firm in our commitment to an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament.

Ensuring First Nations voices across Australia are heard.

The dedication of the Crocodile Islands Maringa Indigenous Protected Area in the Top End has been celebrated with a ceremony in north-east Arnhem Land.

The newly protected area includes 20 islands, covering over 78,000 hectares of land and over 730,000 hectares of sea country.

The islands’ mangroves, mudflats, coastal floodplains, monsoon forests, eucalypt forests, shallow seas and reefs are home to 44 threatened species.

The sun made the new students sweat as they arrived at the University of Western Australia at the start of 1957.

The sandstone buildings echoed with enthusiasm.

Undoubtedly the most enthusiastic, and possibly nervous, student walking onto campus that year was Irwin Lewis. Irwin was the first Aboriginal student to attend university in WA.

The first Aboriginal student, attending university just three years after the abolition of discriminatory the native pass system in Perth.

This is our moment

Later this year, you will all be asked a simple question:

Do you support a change to the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice?

Yes or No.

122 years after the Australian Constitution was formed.

More than 80 years since William Cooper's petition.

56 years since the 1967 referendum.

35 years since the Barunga Statement.

30 years since Keating's Redfern speech.

16 years since Howard promised a referendum on recognition.

The Albanese Labor Government is continuing to support First Nations cultural expression by investing more than $5.1 million in community-based organisations delivering vital languages and arts activities around the country.

44 organisations will share in the funding from 2023-24, which is being delivered through the Government’s Indigenous Languages and Arts program. 

HOST, TIM WONG-SEE: The Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney is traveling around WA in the lead up to the referendum on an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament. Now lots has been said about it. You might be seeing more ads from the Yes and No side in the paper, on TV, on social media, here on the radio. But has it helped you make up your mind on how you’ll vote? Maybe you already know which box you're going to tick come the end of the year? Well, hopefully we can try and answer some of your questions this morning.

ANDREW CLENNELL, HOST: Joining me live is the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Patrick Gorman from Perth. Patrick Gorman, thanks for joining me. You're out doorknocking for the Yes campaign at the moment with Dean Parkin who leads the Yes campaign. What's the reception like?

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

LINDA BURNEY, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: Thanks, David 

DAVID SPEERS: So you've listed four priority areas you would like the Voice to focus on, but won't it be up to the Voice to decide for itself what it wants to pursue?