Labor suggested Shaquille O’Neal praise Cathy Freeman when promoting voice to parliament

Exclusive: Linda Burney's office suggested basketballer might mention amazing hospitality' of Indigenous Australians in August press conference

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The government suggested the American basketball star Shaquille O'Neal should praise Cathy Freeman and ask Australians to talk at their sporting clubs about the Indigenous voice to parliament during his August press conference with Anthony Albanese, new documents obtained under freedom of information reveal.

But large amounts of internal correspondence about the meeting have been kept secret by the prime minister's department on the grounds that it was organised by Albanese's local electorate office, not his ministerial office.

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