Indigenous recognition and reconciliation is one of the priorities on the government’s agenda, after a weekend dominated by talking about the Uluru Declaration from the heart and enshrining its proposed voice in the constitution.
Thorpe believes that pursuing the Voice first is backwards, preferring to pursue a treaty and tell the truth initially.
In the lower house, there were no problems in the swearing in of former Prime Minister Scott Morrison and former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce.
Former coalition leaders Barnaby Joyce and Scott Morrison, along with Labor MP Maria Vamvakinou, are sworn in to the lower house. Credit: James Brickwood
The microphone in the despatch box where Morrison spoke during the previous term of parliament picked up his statement, “So help me God”, and the member for Cook went to shake hands with some of his closest supporters including Melissa McIntosh and Gavin. Pearce, who have now been promoted to the Outer Shadow Ministry.
Morrison was absent last week to attend a conference of former Conservative leaders in Japan.
During question time, Morrison chatted with his right-hand man in the Liberal Party’s NSW division, Alex Hawke, both now sitting in the blind spot of the chamber out of sight of much of the press gallery.
Joyce, who is returning to parliament after the death of her father last week, collapsed on the front bench.
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Meanwhile, the literary references continued to flow in the opening speeches as MPs introduced themselves to Parliament and their priorities.
Last week Independent MP Monique Ryan quoted Albus Dumbledore; On Monday, Mackellar member Sophie Scamps turned to another fantasy classic to quote Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings about her decision to stand for parliament.
“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, to go out of your door. You step into the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, you don’t know where you may be drawn,” said Scamps.
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