Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has tried to avoid questioning over his record on Indigenous welfare by claiming not to talk about domestic politics while overseas, but in the same media appearance laid into the opposition and One Nation for not supporting his planned crackdown on tech companies and immigration.
Mr Albanese touched down in Cupertino, California, the home of Silicon Valley, for the start of his eight-day overseas trip to the United States and the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
At Apple Headquarters, he held a secret meeting and tour of the company’s mothership, with the company’s former chief executive and current chairperson Tim Cook and the company’s executive team to talk about online safety.
Mr Albanese has made the social media ban and controls of artificial intelligence a key policy focus of his second term.
At a press conference afterwards, Mr Albanese was questioned about criticism made by prominent Indigenous leader and architect of the Voice proposal Megan Davies, about what she said was the Labor government’s negligence of Indigenous children’s safety.
Mr Albanese shut down questioning, saying Indigenous affairs was a domestic issue and one that he would not speak about while abroad.
“Sounds very much like not just a domestic question but a question related to…” the Prime Minister began, before it was pointed out to him that the United Nations focuses on the plight of Indigenous peoples worldwide.
“Well, it hasn’t been raised with me at the UN at all. And of course, as you know, the state governments have responsibility for child protection.
“I’ve got a lot to say about when I’m in Australia, about all of these issues.”
He deferred the issue to his Indigenous Affairs Minister.
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