Penny Wong hints the Voice isn't over
In her first ever podcast appearance, Senator Wong has hinted that it's not all over for the 'Voice to Parliament' despite the Prime Minister insisting it was 'gone'.
Senator Wong has told the Betoota Talks podcast that Mr Albanese had proceeded with the best of intentions.
'He's not a pull the pin kind of guy,'' Senator Wong said.
'Yeah, [Anthony Albanese] thought it was the right thing to do and, you know, a lot of First Nations leaders wanted the opportunity.
'I think we'll look back on it in ten years' time and it'll be a bit like marriage equality don't you reckon?
'Like, I always used to say, marriage equality, which took us such a bloody fight to get that done, and I thought, all this fuss, it'll become something like, people go 'did we even have an argument about that?'
'Like, kids today, or even adults today, barely kind of clock that it used to be an issue.
'Remember how big an issue that was in the culture wars? Blimey, just endless.'
The proposed constitutional change in Australia would have created a permanent body of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives to advise the Parliament on laws and policies affecting First Nations people.
Voters rejected the policy that would have ensured the body would have been enshrined in the Constitution, ensuring a formal mechanism for Indigenous voices to be heard in decision-making processes.
Liberal leader Peter Dutton has criticised Mr Albanese for proceeding with the Voice referendum.
'I think the nation was aghast when the Prime Minister spent four, $50m and sought to divide us over the voice debate on heritage and on cultural grounds,' Mr Dutton said.
PM grilled on abandonment of the Voice
Anthony Albanese was grilled on Sunday night about his decision to abandon the Voice following the failure of his term's referendum.
'The Voice, you told us, was important for Australia. It was important for who we are, for our standing in the world. It was a polite request from Indigenous people and you dropped it cold afterwards. Why?' Mark Riley asked.
'Because I respect the outcome. We live in a democracy,' Mr Albanese said.
'Do you still believe in it?' asked Mr Riley.
'It is gone,' said the Prime Minister.
'What is your personal view? Sorry-' Mr Riley pressed.
'We need to find different paths to affect reconciliation,' said Mr Albanese.
Betoota Advocate podcast and the ALP
Senator Wong joined the hosts of the Betoota Advocate podcast, the satirical news publication that has been quietly contracted to run an election podcast strategy for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Labor Party.
A Labor campaign has previously confirmed that Diamantina Media, the runs the podcast, was contracted to provide advice on 'new media' strategy through the Federal Secretariat.
Senator Wong says journalists 'obsessed' she's a lesbian
But the appearance went slightly off-piste after the mother of two made jokes about playing a 'straight bat', which she joked was 'quite a funny joke for me, isn't it?.'
She also revealed that some journalists were 'obsessed' with her being a lesbian but she later worked out it was important to a lot of people.
'I did sort of encounter some people who were... fixated. I remember one bloke asked me something, I said, 'Do you ask John Howard what it's like to be married and straight?''.
She also revealed that when she got the Foreign Affairs job she said 'I'm prepared to work really hard, but I'm not prepared to have a divorce and never see my kids.'
The Beetota Advocate has previously run a series of satirical news stories about Senator Wong organising the Prime Minister's bucks party that were an elaborate joke.
'Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has had a big morning, it can be confirmed,'' the article said.
'Wasting absolutely no time getting about her work, Penny has been frantically researching solutions to one of the biggest issues on her plate – Anthony Albanese's Bucks Party.
'It's believed Penny has also been sure to invite one of Albo's dodgy mates from school, who can help look after the group in Bali.'
Originally published as Penny Wong predicts Voice to Parliament will be 'just like marriage equality'
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"Even though we live with shattered dreams, we must keep looking to the future." 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 While some welcome the prime minister's focus on economic empowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, others brand it a further step from truth-telling. Anthony Albanese has used his address at the Garma Festival in northeast Arnhem Land to unveil an economic partnership with the Coalition of Peaks and First Nations Economic Empowerment Alliance. "This builds on our commitment to the Closing the Gap Agreement, to its call for a new way of doing business and to the principle of shared decision-making," he told the festival audience at Gulkula in the Northern Territory on Saturday. The approach will allow traditional owners to advocate for infrastructure, housing and energy projects on their land and build equity beyond the land itself. Coalition of Peaks lead convener Pat Turner said the partnership was about putting Indigenous communities in control of their economic future."Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been clear for decades that our community-controlled organisations are the best employers of our people, providing the foundation for our economic development," she said. Addressing the crowd at Garma, Yolngu leader and chair of the Yothu Yindi Foundation Djawa Yunupingu said he wanted a real economy for his people. "We intend to use our lands and waters for our own future and the future of our children, and the future of our nation," he said. Mr Albanese also announced $70 million for Indigenous clean energy projects, $31 million for a mobile TAFE program and $75 million for native title reform under the partnership. National Native Title Council chief executive Jamie Lowe said this funding showed the government was serious about supporting traditional owners. 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