Indigenous Voice to Parliament: Albanese government won’t fund yes or no campaign

The Albanese government has revealed how the campaign for the referendum to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the constitution will affect the taxpayer.

Neither the official “yes” or “no” campaigns for the referendum to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the constitution will receive taxpayer dollars from the federal government.

Labor has introduced a bill to parliament to update referendum processes – which are widely considered outdated as the last national vote was held in 1999 – including a proposal to not fund either side of the campaign.

But the Opposition has warned the government’s legislation to prepare for the referendum on an Indigenous Voice “puts a successful referendum at risk”.

Describing the current laws as “out of step” with modern electoral laws, the government has also taken steps to restrict foreign influence and make donations more transparent.

The proposed changes were announced on Thursday in a joint statement Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney, Special Minister of State Don Farrell and special envoy on the Uluru Statement of the Heart Patrick Dodson.

Labor is proposing not to fund either the “yes” or “no” Voice to Parliament referendum campaigns. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“The government believes campaigns in the Voice Referendum should be organised and funded by the Australian community, and does not intend to fund a yes and no campaign for the forthcoming Voice referendum,” the statement said.

The bill also includes measures to require transparent disclosure of donations to both sides and bans all foreign donations and foreign campaigners from participating in the referendum debate.

“Campaign donations and expenditure above the disclosure threshold will have to be reported to the Australian Electoral Commission,” the statement said.

The bill will also seek to remove the current Referendum Machinery law that requires a pamphlet outlining the “yes” and “no” arguments to be posted to every household in Australia.

“The next referendum will be the first in the digital age,” the ministers’ statement said.

“There is no longer any need for taxpayers to pay for a pamphlet to be sent to every household.

Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese attended the Garma Festival in the Northern Territory where he announced a draft wording of the referendum question. Picture: Tamati Smith/Getty Images

The Nationals have come out against the Voice to Parliament. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“Modern technology allows parliamentarians to express their views to voters directly and regularly through a wide variety of sources, such as television, email and social media, that did not exist when the pamphlet was introduced in the early 20th century.”

The government will also seek to provide public information and education about referendum processes and constitutional change given it has been more than 20 years since the last national vote.

But the Coalition’s Attorney General spokesman Julian Leeser and special minister of state spokeswoman Jane Hume said the decision to abolish an official booklet to all Australians outlining the “yes” and “no” cases would leave the field “wide open for misinformation and interference”.

“This is not about whether you vote yes or no,” Mr Leeser said.

“This is about ensuring the government provides information so that Australians can make an informed choice.

“A successful referendum will only occur if the change is clearly explained, and there is transparency and detail.”

Ms Hume said the government had “got it wrong”.

“Labor should trust the Australian people to get this decision right and the best way to do that is ensure they have official information,” she said.

The introduction of the bill was a major step toward holding a referendum to enshrine an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice in the Australian Constitution, which is expected to be held in the latter part of 2023.

The bill will be referred to the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, which will report back in early 2023.

Earlier this year Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced he believed the Australians people should be asked a “simple and clear” yes or no referendum question regarding whether an Indigenous Voice to Parliament should be enshrined in the constitution.

“We should consider asking our fellow Australians something as simple as ‘Do you support an alteration to the constitution that establishes an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice?’” he said.

This week the Nationals announced they would not support the Voice referendum, though divisions within the party soon after with Calare MP Andrew Gee confirming he would break from his colleagues and support the “yes” campaign.

The Liberals under leader Peter Dutton have not yet formed a formal position on the referendum.

Originally published as Indigenous Voice to Parliament: Albanese government won’t fund yes or no campaign