Senator PRATT (Western Australia—Deputy Government Whip in the Senate) (15:09): In this question time, Senator Colbeck asked a question accusing the government of not listening to the Australian people about the Voice. I have to say, Australia does not have a good record of listening to our Indigenous people. It wasn't until 1967 that Aboriginal people in our nation—our First Nations Australians—even had the right to vote. Then, in 1973 or thereabouts, Gough Whitlam introduced the National Aboriginal Consultative Committee. The Fraser government got rid of that. Then they put in place the National Aboriginal Conference. Then they got rid of that. Then, Bob Hawke put in place— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Pratt, you know the use of props is— Senator PRATT: It's not a prop, it's a speaking note. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: It's not a speaking note—I can see the other side of it. You are a temporary chair as well—please. Senator PRATT: Is it against standing orders to rip up your papers? The National and Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Commission was put in place by Bob Hawke until, again, we got rid of that. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Pratt, please. You have fine rhetorical skills; let's rely on those. Senator PRATT: I will desist from ripping up the pieces of paper, but I think my point is made. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Your point is made. Senator PRATT: The National Congress of Australia's First Peoples first met in 2011. The Howard government defunded that. Then First Nations people, with the support of the government, were asked to go away and look at Constitutional recognition and how they might be heard. They didn't want just Constitutional recognition; they wanted to be heard, because our nation has had no history of listening to First Nations people. The Uluru Statement asks for a Constitutionally enshrined Voice to our parliament. That is something that needs to go in our Constitution. It must go in our Constitution, otherwise—as we've seen throughout history—that Voice, that right to be heard can simply be done away with. The parliament has the power to make such laws, and the people have the power to insist that the parliament make such laws so that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples can be heard in a Voice to parliament and so it can't be done away with. Of course, as legislators in this place, we should also know that we have the power to change the laws that the Constitution gives us the power to change. The future laws that govern a Voice can be amended and changed by this parliament, should the referendum be successful. The opposition are seeking to allege that we are not listening to the people. Hundreds and thousands—millions—of Australians are united in the call to listen to Australia's First Nations people.