By PETER ROWE

WA Greens Senator Dorinda Cox has accused the Albanese Government of walking back on its 2022 commitment to adopt Makarrata, asking new Indigenous Affairs Minister Malarndirri McCarthy why the Prime Minister was ‘gaslighting’ First Nations people over their election promise.

“In 2022 your Labor conference adopted Makarrata as policy,” Senator Cox told Senator McCarthy during Question Time in the Senate on Monday.

“It was pre-costed at $27.7 million and you even put $5.8 million in the 2022 budget to commence work on establishing an independent Makarrata commission to oversee process for agreements and truth telling.

“So why is this Labor government now, particularly this Prime Minister, breaking this election promise to the Australian people and gaslighting First Nations people about this election promise?”

Senator McCarthy told the Senate that was not correct. “There is certainly no gaslighting going on,” she said.

“There is great sincerity by the Prime Moister and this government in terms of our relationship with First Nations people.”

Senator McCarthy then informed the House that unless there was bipartisan support across all parties it would be very difficult to pursue.

The response angered Senator Cox, who accused the Prime Minister of walking back on a budget promise to implement Makarrata.

“Will your government support the Uluru Statement from the heart Makarrata commission as scripted in 2017, accept the terms in which it needs to be implemented in full and stop the process of denying First Nations people justice in this country?” she asked.

Senator McCarthy tried to play down the criticism saying that the Albanese government was supporting Senator Cox’s bill for an enquiry, but said she had learnt from the referendum of last year how hard it would be to implement without support from the Opposition.

“The Opposition leader made it clear he would not do that, and that makes it very difficult,” Senator McCarthy said.

Senator Cox said the government was not telling the Australian people the truth.

“Maybe this is a re-occurring theme as they left out the Yunupingu case in the High Court days after Garma on Gumatj land,” she said.

“The Commonwealth is appealing their case win for just terms compensation for their future generations.

“Is this why Labor don’t want truth telling at the Federal level about Commonwealth laws because they are enacting litigation against First Nations people?

“The irony of this is frustrating and just dishonest.