Indigenous voice leaders ‘tired of political games’
A leading Indigenous voice to parliament advocate has lashed the “tired political games” marring discussion around the proposed advisory body.
Nominations have today opened for the SA Voice to Parliament. Photo: Tony Lewis / InDaily
Responding to Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s renewed call for more detail before a referendum, one of the Uluru Statement’s principal authors Megan Davis insisted Australians wouldn’t head to the ballot box without knowing what they were voting for.
Professor Davis, a constitutional lawyer, said the process the government was following was standard practice.
“Constitutions are for principle. The machinery is for parliament,” she said in a statement.
“The High Court of Australia was recognised in 1901 and set up via legislation several years later … it’s a normal constitutional approach.”
Davis spoke to the frustration surrounding the debate, saying the Uluru Dialogue “knew politicians could not lead this discussion”.
“The Uluru Statement was issued to the Australian people because as Australians we are tired of political games,” she said.
“This isn’t about politicians and politicking, this is about the Australian people and our future.”
Dutton says Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is treating the public “like mugs” for not releasing more detail before a potential constitutional change.
He said his major queries were how the advisory body would be composed, how it would function on a regional basis and how it would tackle issues in the most remote areas.
“You can’t just say to the Australian public as the prime minister, ‘you vote at an election … on a Saturday and we’ll give you the detail on the Monday’. It’s a very serious decision to change our Constitution,” he told reporters on Sunday.
Davis said three different referendum working groups were finalising the appropriate amount of detail required for an informed vote.
She said the Uluru Dialogue would keep working with Liberal MPs “who want to work constructively as community leaders”.
Dutton’s call came as the Liberal party seeks to determine its position on the voice, after coalition partners the Nationals formally opposed the referendum.
MP Andrew Gee quit the party over that stance, opting to shift to the cross bench.
The government has indicated a referendum will be held in the second half of the year.
-AAP
