Indigenous Voice to Parliament

This article is about the body as proposed and its conceptual development. For the referendum and its broader outcome, see 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum.

Polling booth in Brisbane on the day of the referendum
This article is part of a series on the
Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Voice
Proposed Australian federal Indigenous advisory body to represent Indigenous communities.
Background
2023 referendum
See also

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, also known as the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, the First Nations Voice or simply the Voice, was a proposed Australian federal advisory body to comprise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, to represent the views of Indigenous communities.[1]

A referendum to amend the Australian Constitution to recognise Indigenous Australians in the document by prescribing the Voice was held on 14 October 2023.[2] It was unsuccessful, with a majority of voters both nationwide and in all states voting against the proposal.[2]

The idea of such a body came to prominence after being endorsed by Indigenous leaders in the Uluru Statement from the Heart of 2017. While initially rejected by the then Coalition Turnbull government, the subsequent Labor Albanese government endorsed the proposal and promised to hold a referendum on the topic. Both Coalition parties in the federal opposition opposed the Voice however, whether legislatively or constitutionally implemented.[3][4][5]

The Voice as proposed by the Albanese government would have had the power to make representations to the Parliament of Australia and executive government on matters relating to Indigenous Australians.[6] The specific form of the Voice was to be determined by legislation passed by Parliament had the referendum succeeded.[7]

Under the government-endorsed design principles of the First Nations Referendum Working Group (Referendum Working Group or RWG),[8] the membership of the Voice would have been selected by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across the country, with an enforced gender balance at the national level.[9][10][11]

It remains legally possible however for the Voice (or alternative proposals) to be introduced by legislation rather than by amendment to the Constitution.[12] However, the current government stated before the referendum they would not legislate a Voice in the event of a No vote and have subsequently stuck to this position.[13][14]

  1. ^ "Voice Principles". Australian Government. 9 August 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2023. Members of the Voice would be Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
  2. ^ a b Worthington, Brett (14 October 2023). "Australians reject Indigenous recognition via Voice to Parliament, referendum set for defeat". ABC News.
  3. ^ Hitch, Georgia (5 April 2023). "Liberal Party confirms it will oppose the Indigenous Voice to Parliament". ABC News.
  4. ^ Worthington, Brett (28 November 2022). "Nationals to oppose Indigenous Voice to Parliament". ABC News.
  5. ^ "Former MP Ken Wyatt quits Liberals after party decides not to back Voice". ABC News (Australia). 6 April 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  6. ^ "Next Step Towards Voice Referendum: Constitutional Alteration Bill". Prime Minister of Australia. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  7. ^ Silva, Angelica (16 May 2023) [15 May 2023]. "What is the Indigenous Voice to Parliament? Here's how it would work and who's for and against it". ABC News. The actual structure [of the Voice] would depend on legislation after a "yes vote" in the referendum.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference 1stmtgref was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Australian Government (June 2023). "Design Principles of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice" (PDF). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  10. ^ Allam, Lorena (23 March 2023). "What is the Indigenous voice to parliament, how would it work, and what happens next?". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  11. ^ Butler, Dan (3 February 2023). "The government is being asked for detail on the Voice. Here's what we know". NITV. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  12. ^ Silva, Angelica (16 May 2023) [15 May 2023]. "What is the Indigenous Voice to Parliament? Here's how it would work and who's for and against it". ABC News. ...according to constitutional law expert Professor Anne Twomey. "The parliament could still legislate, if it wanted to do so, to establish an Indigenous advisory body... "
  13. ^ Visentin, Lisa (18 November 2023). "Voice fallout: support for treaty plunges after referendum". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  14. ^ Canales, Sarah Basford (8 October 2023). "Labor won't try to legislate Indigenous voice if referendum fails, Anthony Albanese says". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 8 October 2023.