Sunrise host Nat Barr unleashes over Peter Dutton’s Voice plan: ‘You go to Alice Springs and kids are living in squalor
Sunrise presenter Nat Barr unleashes Peter Dutton’s Voice plan: ‘You go to Alice Springs and children live in misery
- Natalie Barr berates Peter Dutton over Voice claims
Natalie Barr has spoken out against Peter Dutton after he pledged to spend millions of dollars on a second referendum if the Voice to Parliament fails.
The Sunrise host asked the opposition leader why he would spend another $450 million on a referendum that “First Nation people aren’t really asking for.”
“I think it’s the right and respectful thing to simply acknowledge our history, and I think it’s the right thing to do for Indigenous Australians,” Mr Dutton said.
“I think it is wrong for our country to enshrine a vote in the constitution, and we should be very clear about that. I believe an overwhelming number of Australians support recognition, but not the Voice.’
Mr Dutton called on the Prime Minister to change the question.
“We don’t need a second referendum if the Prime Minister listens to the Australian public, changes the question and just puts a simple recognition question to the Australian people on October 14,” he said.
Barr asked how recognizing Indigenous Australians would improve poverty, incarceration rates and other ‘terrible statistics’.
Sunrise host Natalie Barr asked the opposition leader why he would spend another $450 million on a referendum that ‘First Nation people aren’t actually asking for’
“It’s most acute in regional and remote areas, but if you go to some of the indigenous communities, like East Arnhem, they have a functioning society… like you would see in any other regional city,” said Mr Dutton .
“You go to Alice Springs and the kids live in misery, the attendance at school and through the floor.”
He said Indigenous Australians in remote communities wanted more tangible results, such as safe housing, rather than constitutional recognition.
“For example, they want boarding houses at the school so that children can be fed and housed and live safely,” he said.
“I see what you mean, but we’ve spent billions and billions over many years and those ideas have been discussed before,” Barr retorted.
“You’re not the first and they’re not the first, so if we want to change something, shouldn’t we draw a line in the sand and do what most indigenous peoples ask for?”