PM Anthony Albanese on the Indigenous Voice to parliament referendum

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has revealed exclusive details on his Voice to parliament plan – including the structure and if it will include reparations to Indigenous Australians.

A Voice to parliament would be an advisory body only and would not involve reparations to Indigenous Australians, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says.

In an exclusive interview with The Advertiser’s Indigenous Affairs reporter Douglas Smith, the Prime Minister said he believed Australians were generous enough to support a referendum to enshrine the body in the constitution.

He said he sees the Voice as the first step in fulfilling the three steps of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

The second step is a Makarrata Commission for truth telling and then Treaty, which would be an agreement between the government and Indigenous people.

Mr Albanese said the Voice was the first step in recognising Indigenous Australians in the “nation’s birth certificate” and without it the country was “diminished by not recognising our history”.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at his Bligh St offices on Friday. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“We should be proud that we have the oldest continuous civilisation,” he added.

When asked about when detail of how the Voice would work would emerge, Mr Albanese said the parliament would devise legislation to underpin it. 

“It not seeking something that is above parliament,” he said.

“It is something that is subservient to the parliament.

“It will be just an advisory group.

“The parliament remains sovereign.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks with The Advertiser’s Indigenous Affairs reporter Douglas Smith. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

It would not be a third chamber, he said, and would instead consult First Nations people. 

“People should be consulted on matters that affect them, that’s just good manners,” he said.

Mr Albanese revealed he had already spoken to the AFL, NRL and Netball Australia as he builds a coalition to support a Voice. 

When asked about calls for reparations for Indigenous Australians, Mr Albanese said there would be none.

“No, that’s not something that is part of the proposal,” he said.

He said the Voice had the potential to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians.

He also hit back at commentators claiming the proposal would promote an apartheid in Australia, saying it was “disrespectful” language.

On Saturday, the Prime Minister revealed the wording of a historic referendum that would change the nation forever if successful, saying his government would seek support for the question to have a referendum in this term of parliament.

“I would like us to present the Australian people with the clearest possible referendum question,” he told the packed crowd at the Northern Territory’s Garma Festival.

“We should consider asking our fellow Australians something as simple and clear as this: ‘Do you support an alteration to the Constitution that establishes an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice?’”

‘We can’t just get over it’: Everyday racism still hits Aboriginal families

- Lauren Novak

Racism still affects Aboriginal families “every day” and acknowledging this is crucial to stopping the deaths and removals of more First Nations children, advocates say.

The deaths of three children in SA and the NT in recent weeks prompted urgent talks between federal, state and territory ministers meeting in Adelaide on Friday.

Aboriginal leaders have urged them to listen to those working with struggling families and not dismiss the impact of ongoing discrimination.

“Racism is alive and well - the people who say it’s not are the people with their eyes shut,” said Kaurna Ngarrindjeri man Craig Rigney, who heads non-profit KWY.

“It’s definitely an effect from colonisation but the minute you say that the barriers will go up because people will just say ‘Get over it’.

“But you can’t just get over it because the effects of it are still happening every day.

“People think this stuff happened way back when ... but my Dad grew up on a mission. That was one generation ago.”

Aboriginal Children’s Commissioner April Lawrie said “systemic racism” meant families were not getting the support they needed.

“I’m sick to death of white fellas telling black fellas to get over the racism,” the Mirning Kokatha woman said.

“When you’re on the receiving end, as an Aboriginal person, you know what it looks like, you feel the marginalisation, you see things enacted that keep you out,”

“Families tell us how they get judged, how they’re discriminated against, that they see reports that say horrible things about who they are as Aboriginal people.”

Eastern Arrernte woman Shona Reid took over as the Guardian for young people in state care in South Australia this week and called for Aboriginal children’s views to be heard.

“It’s all great to have the ministers around the table but I hope the kids are there too,” she said.

“This (concern) is not something that’s come out of the blue. It’s been around for a long time. At some stage we’ve got to start kicking goals in this space.”

Ms Reid called for “long-term commitment and long-term change ... that goes beyond an election cycle”.

Mr Rigney said an “extremely high” proportion of parents who sought help from KWY had been in state care or had relatives removed by the state.

“We’ve got more Aboriginal kids going into out of home care than ever before. Families know this - of course they’re afraid,” he said. “That fear is passed down. This isn’t history - it’s current.”

All the advocates who spoke to The Advertiser said any reforms should be guided by Aboriginal people.

“It’s got to be Aboriginal-led. Without that they’re just ticking a box and going on with the mainstream reforms which isn’t working,” Mr Rigney said.