Voice referendum: Linda Burney is caught on hot mic slamming ‘racism and bullying’ she has faced in parliament

Linda Burney has been recorded telling NSW Premier Chris Minns she was subjected to ‘racism and bullying’ in Parliament over the last two sitting weeks. 

The conversation was caught on camera during a Yes23 campaign event supporting the Indigenous Voice to Parliament on Friday morning in the duo’s Sydney electorate of Kogarah. 

She said: ‘We’ve just finished two weeks of gruelling parliament… to me it’s just unbelievably racist and bullying.

‘The way they have treated me is appalling.’

Mr Minns started to say ‘hey, you know what…’ before adding ‘yeah’. 

It is unclear if the pair knew they were being filmed. 

Ms Burney, the Indigenous Australians Minister who is at the forefront of the government’s referendum pitch, faced an onslaught of questions over the Voice.

This week marked the final sitting week in parliament before the referendum, and the Yes campaign are keen to shift the debate outside of Canberra and reach everyday Australians.

In the house, Ms Burney was asked to reflect on comments she made about treaty several years ago, as well as to weigh in on Professor Marcia Langton’s fiery unearthed Voice videos. 

She was repeatedly criticised from members of the Opposition for failing to answer what they argued were ‘tight’ questions, instead often referring back to preprepared notes about the proposal.

Ms Burney faced 14 questions in total – some from her own party – during the course of the week.

Now that parliament is over until after the referendum, Labor politicians and affiliated Yes campaigners hope to ramp up their efforts to connect with communities across Australia.

Despite dwindling support in the polls, the campaign is still confident it can secure a win, relying on ‘soft’ No voters and Australians who are yet to engage with the debate at all.

It’s a high hurdle to jump – for the referendum to be successful, the majority of Australians in the majority of states must vote Yes. 

She said: ‘We’ve just finished two weeks of gruelling parliament… just unbelievably racist and bullying. The way they’ve treated me is appalling’

Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney (pictured centre) wants the Voice to advise on health, education, employment and housing

The most recent Resolve Political Monitor survey showed 43 per cent of voters supported a plan to enshrine the Voice into the Constitution, down 20 percentage points from a year ago.

Ms Burney has vowed to ask the Voice body to consider the ‘main priority areas’ of health, education, jobs and housing if the referendum is successful.

However, the Voice will not be limited to advising only on these specific topics.

Ms Burney says the advisory body would ‘have a full in-tray’ from day one.

‘Unlike government, it won’t be distracted by the three-year election cycles. It will plan for the next generation, not the next term. It will be focused on making a better future for the next generation,’ she will say in a speech to be delivered on Wednesday.

The percentage of Australians in favour of the referendum has dropped for the fifth month in a row and since the last survey Victoria has flipped to a majority No, leaving Tasmania the only state left in the Yes camp

Ms Burney has vowed to work closely with the Voice body in her role as minister,  and will ask that it help ‘solve the most pressing issues’. 

‘When I meet with the Voice for the first time I will say: Bring me your ideas on how to stop our people from taking their own lives,’ she said.

‘Bring me your ideas on how to help our kids go to school and thrive. Bring me your ideas on how we make sure our mob live strong and healthy lives. How we ensure more people have jobs – with the independence and purpose that brings.

‘How we strengthen culture and language. How we support families better. How we keep alive our 65,000 years of culture and make it stronger.’

Ms Burney said she hopes a Voice to Parliament will target the ‘systemic and structural disadvantage’ of Indigenous Australians in a speech to the National Press Club in July.

She referred to Closing the Gap statistics which demonstrate how First Nations people face higher rates of incarceration and higher chances of dying younger.