National Reconciliation Week is a profound opportunity for Australians - a time to reflect, acknowledge, and work together towards unity. It begins with Sorry Day on 26 May, when the nation remembers the Stolen Generations and the enduring trauma that continues to reverberate through families and communities today.

This year's Reconciliation Week coincides with the 25th anniversary of one of the most powerful demonstrations of national unity in our history: the Walk for Reconciliation across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. On 28 May 2000, a quarter of a million Australians marched together in solidarity - Indigenous and non-Indigenous, shoulder to shoulder. It was, and remains, the largest political demonstration ever held on this continent.

And yet, as so many Australians have paused this week to honour that legacy, the Federal Liberal and National Parties have remained notably silent.

I would be glad to be proven wrong, but I can find not a single instance of any Federal Liberal or National MP acknowledging the importance of this week, let alone committing to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians.

Not a post, tweet, reel, press release, speech or statement. Nothing.

While the federal opposition remains mute, others are showing what leadership looks like.

On Tuesday, Western Australian Premier Roger Cook announced a reparations scheme for Stolen Generations survivors. This week Governor-General Sam Mostyn reminded the nation that "reconciliation is a journey for all Australians." Queensland's LNP leader David Crisafulli has announced millions to Indigenous housing and services. South Australia has legislated a state-based Indigenous Voice to Parliament. Victoria is leading a national truth-telling process through the Yoorrook Justice Commission. And in Tasmania, the state Liberals announced on Wednesday it would establish a Truth-Telling and Healing Commission.

Meanwhile, the Federal Liberal Party appears stuck in a cycle of internal squabbling and political short-sightedness.

The silence, this week, from Sussan Ley and her senior colleagues suggests a profound misunderstanding of the Referendum's outcome. The Liberal Party seems to have interpreted the result as a sign that Australians have lost interest in reconciliation. A majority of voters rejected the particular proposed constitutional reform but I do not believe they rejected the principle of reconciliation itself, nor the desire for justice, equity, and real outcomes for Aboriginal people.

Reconciliation demands courage, consistency, and a willingness to confront hard truths.

The Liberal Party's silence this week is not an oversight or because of distraction - it is deliberate, and it speaks volumes.

This week is not just an opportunity to reflect - it is a test of leadership. If the Federal Liberal Party continues to treat reconciliation as someone else's responsibility, it will be remembered not as a party of principle, but as one that stood still while the nation moved forward.

Australians are watching. The choice facing the Liberal Party is stark: show up, speak out, and lead - or risk total irrelevance.

The path to reconciliation is already being charted by communities, state leaders, and everyday Australians.

The only question that remains is whether the Liberal Party is willing to walk it with us.

Reece Harley is the Managing Director of the National Indigenous Times.