The government is staring down the barrel of an election by May next year. It does not want to be arguing about Makarrata and treaty because it believes it is a battle it will not win.
During the darkest and most polarising days of the referendum campaign, Indigenous leader Noel Pearson delivered an ominous warning that he would "fall silent" if the nation voted against enshrining an Indigenous advisory body in the constitution.
The reality of what that historic and thumping No vote meant is only now being fully understood. It has led to a timidity within the government over a broader suite of Indigenous rights reforms., saying it is based on "just the idea of coming together", without a truth and justice commission as part of its work.
Dutton's fierce and unrelenting opposition to the Uluru statement has effectively prevailed. The government will not be drawn into a battle over this — it has instead decided to re-invest more vigorously in the closing the gap strategy. It wants to start having some wins for Aboriginal Australians and to take the heat out the Indigenous affairs arena.
"I accept that the political discourse is very different. And ideology does matter to certain sectors across our country. I'm a very pragmatic, you know, I'm pragmatic about that. So naturally, those matters will be what they will be. "If we are to accept the overall result of the referendum — which we do — then we must also accept that remote Indigenous people overwhelmingly voted Yes," he said.
Makarrata Commission Uluru Statement Truth Telling Albanese
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