In response to questions fromThe Age,Walsh said the letter did not specifically request that Pesutto respond.
Stewart questioned whether Pesutto met with any Indigenous leaders before withdrawing support for a treaty and said the opposition leader’s “working relationship with Aboriginal communities is now untenable”.
The Ageasked Pesutto for examples of meetings he has held with Indigenous leaders since taking over the leadership,and while considering his position on Indigenous policies.
“As leader,Mr Pesutto has invited a number of Indigenous organisations to engage on substantive policy matters and personally spoken with and met with Indigenous leaders,including Ms Antoinette Braybrook AM,the CEO of Djirra (a support group for Indigenous women),” Walsh said.
Braybrook contactedThe Age late on Tuesday to stress that the pair did not discuss treaty during their meeting.
“I support treaty,” she said
The Age has also confirmed that Walsh and the First Peoples’ Assembly met three times followingthe failed Voice referendum in October – around the time the shadow cabinet formally agreed to withdraw support for treaty. Shadow cabinet discussed the treaty process at meetings after the October vote formally decided to withdraw the Coalition’s support late last year.
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Walsh attended meetings with the assembly on October 19,November 13 and a third meeting in December. A spokesperson for the Assembly claimed that at none of these meetings did he reveal the Coalition was discussing withdrawing from the treaty process or its decision to end its support.
The First Peoples’ Assembly said it wasblindsided by the state opposition’s decision. But Walsh accused the assembly of “not listening or paying attention” to the concerns raised by MPs during the meetings at the end of last year. Those meetings were around the time the shadow cabinet formally decided to no longer support treaty.
Walsh had previously told Victorian parliament the Coalition would formally support a treaty process,but would seek a parliamentary review of the state’s Cultural Heritage Act.
“At these meetings I raised concerns the Coalition had with the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act and the Traditional Owner Settlement Act and how they were not working in the best interests of all Victorians. I also indicated that until these issues were resolved,the Coalition wasn’t supportive of treaty progressing,” Walsh toldThe Age on Tuesday.
But Walsh’s recollection is disputed by assembly members who toldThe Age that Walsh assured them the Coalition wouldn’t oppose a treaty given negotiations between elected representatives and the Victorian government were at an early stage.
An assembly spokesperson confirmed Walsh and other National Party members continued raising “concerns about the current heritage laws”,and this prompted the assembly to direct additional resources to finding solutions,including potential legislative amendments,ahead of treaty negotiations.
Pesutto cancelled the only meeting he was due to attend with the assembly on November 13 because of another engagement,the Coalition confirmed.
In response to questions about Pesutto’s engagement with the assembly,Walsh said shadow ministers meet with stakeholders who are relevant to their portfolios and regularly report back to shadow cabinet.
“As deputy leader of the Coalition and shadow minister for Aboriginal Affairs,who regularly engages with the First Peoples’ Assembly,I managed the meeting,” Walsh said.
The Victorian government has committed to preparing a treaty with the state’s Indigenous population to acknowledge the sovereignty of First Peoples communities.
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