Northern Territorians are on holiday for Darwin Cup today, but it was no picnic for PM Anthony Albanese yesterday as he faced a grilling about what’s next for addressing Indigenous issues during the Garma Festival in remote northeast Arnhem Land. It’s the first time the event’s been held since the failed Voice to Parliament referendum, and it came days after new Closing the Gap data showed a slide in Indigenous wellbeing. Albanese says his commitment to First Nations people is “as strong as ever” but he won’t set up a ‘Truth and Justice Commission’ known as Makarrata as laid out in the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Yesterday he said he reckons it means “listening to and respecting First Nations people and then responding” and no promise has been broken. But advocates say it “was an election commitment” that is still “necessary”.