PM sets plan for nationwide-vote on Indigenous Voice in motion

BY VAS SHIPP

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's speech at the Garma Festival officially began the government's move to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the constitution. 

During his speech, the Prime Minister said Australians could no longer tolerate a life-expectancy gap of 20 years between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

“Let us all understand this, very clearly: Australia does not have to choose between improving peoples’ lives and amending the Constitution,” Mr Albanese said.

“We can do both, and we have to, because 121 years of Commonwealth governments arrogantly believing they know enough to impose their own solutions on Aboriginal people have brought us to this point.

“This torment of powerlessness.”

Such a momentous legal change can only be achieved through the passing of a nationwide referendum.

Mr Albanese has drafted the referendum question: “Do you support an alteration to the Constitution that establishes an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice?”

Monash University’s professor of politics and international relations Zareh Ghazarian said the passing of a referendum required a ‘double majority’.

“A majority of voters in Australia, as well as a majority of states, must vote 'yes' to the proposal,” Dr Ghazarian said. 

“The constitution has been designed .. so that it is difficult to bring about change," he said.

The Prime Minister has confirmed the proposed Indigenous Voice body, made up of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, will simply act in an advisory role to parliament, without the powers to create or alter laws. 

Further details about the roles of the body will not be released until after the vote, which is likely to be within this term of government. 

While polling conducted by the Australian Institute last month revealed 65% of Australians support the proposed change, referendums rarely gain the required levels of support needed, with just eight of the 44 proposed changes adopted since federation. 
 

Despite this history, Mr Albanese is confident the time is right to deliver on a promise that headlined his victory speech on election night. 

While celebrating his win with the Labor-faithful on May 21, Mr Albanese committed to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which calls on parliament to establish a First Nations Voice to Parliament, enshrined in the constitution.

“We can answer its patient, gracious call for a voice enshrined in our Constitution because all of us ought to be proud, that amongst our great multicultural society, we count the oldest living continuous culture in the world.”

Indigenous lawyer and academic Noel Pearson has praised Albanese’s “connection with Aboriginal people” on the issue. 

“[Albanese] was speaking to all Australians about the opportunity [for] constitutional recognition,” he told 7:30’s Sarah Ferguson. 

“[The Voice] will symbolise the recognition of the voices of the original Australians … [and] will result in better laws and policies.”

The Government has presented a draft question for the referendum that reads: ‘Do you support an alteration to the constitution that establishes an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice?’

If the referendum is successful, then Mr Albanese has recommended the addition of three lines to the document, broadly outlining the body's existence, roles and functions. 

They read as follows:

1. There shall be a body, to be called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. 
2. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice may make representations to parliament and the executive government on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 
3. The parliament shall, subject to this constitution, have power to make laws with respect to the compositions, functions, powers and procedures of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. 

While an official date has not been set, the vote is expected to be held within the next two years with May 27, 2023 and January 27, 2024 shaping as early frontrunners.