The political debate over the Indigenous Voice to Parliament is getting personal with the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader trading parliamentary barbs, as the "yes" camp goes local with a $1 million national campaign.
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It comes as Anthony Albanese announces $6.4 million to kick off the design and development of the Garma Institute - a new tertiary and vocational education facility proposed by the Yolngu people and Yothu Yindi Foundation - and as he prepares to deliver a major speech at the Garma Festival in Arnhem Land.
"This has been a long aspiration of the Yolngu people," the Prime Minister said in a statement. "This partnership shows how governments can work alongside communities, meeting their needs and helping them realise their full potential."
Ahead of the weekend festival, Yes23 will on Friday launch a digital advertising blitz, including 90, 30, and 15-second ads and videos highlighting Kununurra, the Kimberley, Halls Creek, and Alice Springs, as it continues to ramp up its effort.
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Amid concern about misinformation and disinformation in Voice campaigning, Yes23 Director Dean Parkin insists the ads show real-life, local policies and programs that have been developed in consultation with Indigenous Australians.
"This is about hearing from Indigenous people in communities about why they want a Voice to Parliament," Mr Parkin said in a statement.
After big outlays on social media such as Facebook and Instagram, Yes23 has revealed this ad run is the campaign's single largest spend on digital advertising to date. It's expected at least $1 million will be spent promoting these videos over the next few weeks.
Yes23 now has more than 20,000 volunteers and is focusing on activities such as door-knocking, letter-boxing, phone banking, and community forums.
But Parliament remains hostile ground.
Mr Albanese has been challenging Peter Dutton to "get out of his dirt unit" over the Voice to Parliament and instead go this weekend to the "red dirt of Arnhem Land." It is the Garma event at which last year the Prime Minister revealed the key concepts and the first draft of the proposed question to be put later this year to Australian voters.
"This confected outrage by those opposite with regard to the Uluru Statement from the Heart is just that, confected. Seeking political advantage by undermining the most disadvantaged group in Australia, who happened to be First Nations people," the Prime Minister told Parliament.
The Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney also offered a ride for Mr Dutton's deputy Sussan Ley.
"Not only am I inviting the deputy leader to come to Garma, I will even make sure that there is some bug spray available for you," she quipped.
Both Mr Dutton and Nationals leader David Littleproud called on Mr Albanese to detail what a successful voice referendum would mean for the other elements for the Uluru Statement from the Heart, particularly treaty.
"They will vote no because they know this Prime Minister is wilfully withholding detail from them. That is unconscionable. It is something the Prime Minister should apologise for," the Opposition Leader said.
The Opposition Leader called Mr Albanese "phoney" and "incompetent", while he reminded Parliament of Mr Dutton's decision to walk out of the 2008 apology to the Stolen Generations.
"Could not stomach it. Could not stomach it," he said.
A motion to suspend standing orders over the proposed Voice failed as the government had the numbers, but notably Liberal MP Bridget Archer voted with the government.