One perfect day: Albanese tipped to announce October 14 as date for voice vote
Australians will soon know when they will vote on a referendum to recognise Indigenous people in the constitution, with October Ā 14 firming as the likely date.
A day after parliament endorsed a bill setting out the question and constitutional change, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has begun working with advisers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders to settle on a date for the vote.
Mr Albanese told reporters it would be held in the final quarter of the year, but it has been speculated October 14 is the governmentās preferred date.
āIt will be a moment of national unity, a chance to make our nation even greater,ā he said.
Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney said the passing of the laws was the start of a ānational conversation at the community level about what a voice is, why itās needed, and how it will make a practical differenceā.
āWhat I can say for certain is that our democracy and decision-making will be enhanced by the voice because listening to a range of opinions is essential for good policy,ā she said.
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Uluru Dialogue co-chair Pat Anderson said campaigning for the referendum needed to begin immediately so people can make an informed decision.
āBetween now and when we do go to the polls, there will be enough information for the general public to make up their minds ā¦ and a task that we all have now,ā she told the ABC.
āWeāve all got a lot of work to do, and a lot of talking to do over this next few months, I believe thereās time.
āBut we have to start now.ā
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Opposition Indigenous Australians spokeswoman Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, a leader of the ānoā campaign, said a āCanberra body of academics and expertsā would not be an effective way of closing the wellbeing gap.
āIf the āyesā vote is successful, we will be divided forever,ā she said.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton asked the prime minister in parliament why he was not providing details of the voice before people cast their vote at the referendum.
āWhy are Australians being asked to make the biggest change to Australiaās constitution in decades, creating a permanent new body without any details as to how it would operate?ā Mr Dutton said.
Mr Albanese said the parliament ā after the referendum is held ā would determine the āstructure, the composition, the powers and the proceduresā of the voice.
But he said there was a clear set of principles including no right of veto, the primacy of the parliament, the selection of members by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people based on the wishes of local communities, gender balance, youth involvement, accountability and transparency.
Advocacy organisation ANTAR national director Paul Wright said it was āanother hurdle clearedā.
āAs the consideration of proper recognition and voice leaves the Canberra arena, it is a good thing that it will now be in our towns and cities, our communities and around our kitchen tables that we reflect on what is at stake.ā
Labor senator and āfather of reconciliationā Pat Dodson, who is on leave from parliament, tweeted he had āgreat faith that we will come together to vote āyesā for a better futureā.
A pamphlet setting out the āyesā and ānoā cases will be mailed to households in coming weeks.
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