Summary

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The large majority voted against a motion:

That the Acts Interpretation Amendment (Aboriginality) Bill 2023 be referred to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 4 September 2023.

Queensland Senator Pauline Hanson has attempted to get this bill considered twice: once on 11 May 2023 and once on 14 June 2023. Both times it was rejected by the large majority.

What does the bill do?

The bill would change the definition of an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person in the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 by adding the following section:

2N Person of the Aboriginal race of Australia , indigenous inhabitant of the Torres Strait Islands, etc.

(1) In any Act, a reference to a person of the Aboriginal race of Australia, to a member of the Aboriginal race of Australia or to a descendant of an indigenous inhabitant of Australia is a reference to a person who is a member of a registered native title body corporate (within the meaning of the Native Title Act 1993 ) that holds the native title rights and interests of an area of land or waters other than in the Torres Strait.

(2) In any Act, a reference to a descendant of an indigenous inhabitant of the Torres Strait Islands is a reference to a person who is a member of a registered native title body corporate (within the meaning of the Native Title Act 1993 ) that holds the native title rights and interests of an area of land or waters in the Torres Strait.

Its purpose seems to be to ensure that only those Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people who are members of a "registered native title body corporate" that currently holds Native Title to an area of land or water will count as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person for the purposes of federal law.

See this Report (4.2 MB) from the National Native Title Tribunal for maps that give an indication of just how many people would not be covered by this definition, given the limited amount of Native Title held over areas in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, as well as throughout the other states and territories.

Votes Not passed by a large majority

Nobody rebelled against their party.

Party Votes
Australian Greens (100% turnout) 0 Yes 11 No
Penny Allman-Payne Queensland No
Dorinda Cox WA No
Mehreen Faruqi NSW No
Sarah Hanson-Young SA No
Nick McKim Tasmania No
Barbara Pocock SA No
Janet Rice Victoria No
David Shoebridge NSW No
Jordon Steele-John WA No
Larissa Waters Queensland No
Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania No
Australian Labor Party (72% turnout) 0 Yes 18 No
Tim Ayres NSW No
Catryna Bilyk Tasmania No
Carol Brown Tasmania No
Anthony Chisholm Queensland No
Katy Gallagher ACT No
Karen Grogan SA No
Jenny McAllister NSW No
Deborah O'Neill NSW No
Fatima Payman WA No
Helen Polley Tasmania No
Louise Pratt WA No
Tony Sheldon NSW No
Marielle Smith SA No
Glenn Sterle WA No
Jana Stewart Victoria No
Anne Urquhart Tasmania No
Jess Walsh Victoria No
Linda White Victoria No
Raff Ciccone Victoria Absent
Patrick Dodson WA Absent
Don Farrell SA Absent
Nita Green Queensland Absent
Malarndirri McCarthy NT Absent
Murray Watt Queensland Absent
Penny Wong SA Absent
Jacinta Nampijinpa Price NT Country Liberal Party Absent
Andrew McLachlan SA Deputy President No
David Pocock ACT Independent No
Lidia Thorpe Victoria Independent Absent
Jacqui Lambie Network (100% turnout) 2 Yes 0 No
Jacqui Lambie Tasmania Yes
Tammy Tyrrell Tasmania Yes
Liberal National Party (50% turnout) 0 Yes 1 No
Matthew Canavan Queensland No
James McGrath Queensland Absent
Liberal Party (21% turnout) 0 Yes 5 No
Wendy Askew Tasmania No
Jonathon Duniam Tasmania No
Sarah Henderson Victoria No
Jane Hume Victoria No
Matt O'Sullivan WA No
Alex Antic SA Absent
Simon Birmingham SA Absent
Andrew Bragg NSW Absent
Slade Brockman WA Absent
Michaelia Cash WA Absent
Claire Chandler Tasmania Absent
Richard Colbeck Tasmania Absent
David Fawcett SA Absent
Hollie Hughes NSW Absent
Maria Kovacic NSW Absent
Kerrynne Liddle SA Absent
James Paterson Victoria Absent
Marise Payne NSW Absent
Gerard Rennick Queensland Absent
Linda Reynolds WA Absent
Anne Ruston SA Absent
Paul Scarr Queensland Absent
Dean Smith WA Absent
David Van Victoria Absent
National Party (25% turnout) 0 Yes 1 No
Ross Cadell NSW No
Perin Davey NSW Absent
Susan McDonald Queensland Absent
Bridget McKenzie Victoria Absent
Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party (100% turnout) 2 Yes 0 No
Pauline Hanson Queensland Yes
Malcolm Roberts Queensland Yes
Sue Lines WA President Absent
Ralph Babet Victoria United Australia Party Absent
Totals (55% turnout) 4 Yes – 38 No