State opposition set to bin the planned Victorian Voice to parliament

The Opposition has criticised the Allan government for pushing ahead with a state-based Voice “without transparency and without a mandate”.

A Victorian Voice to parliament faces being axed under a Coalition government.

The Herald Sun revealed on Monday the Allan government was working to establish its own Voice to parliament – by making permanent the taxpayer-funded body advising on Treaty, and giving it the job of offering policy ­advice on behalf of ­Indigenous Victorians.

But plans to bin the policy if elected to government are being explored by the state opposition, with shadow cabinet expected to formally consider the proposal.

The Allan government is working to establish its own Voice to parliament. Picture: Justin McManus.

Until then no formal position can be announced but multiple Liberal MPs, speaking anonymously, said it was an obvious move given the party’s staunch opposition to the plan.

Premier Jacinta Allan doubled down on plans to introduce the Voice to parliament, saying it would deliver better outcomes for Indigenous Victorians who were lagging in key areas including education, homelessness and health.

“We know that Indigenous people here in this state continue to be significantly behind the rest of the population, and that’s not fair,” she said.

“The significant change is that it will be a body that we’ll be listening, taking on their advice. That’s how you get an improvement in those key indicators.

“The system is not working and we have to change it,” she said.

Jacinta Allan says ‘the system is not working and we have to change it’. Picture: Nadir Kinani

But Opposition Leader Brad Battin said the Coalition would vehemently oppose the introduction of legislation to enshrine the Voice to parliament.

“The Liberals’ and Nationals’ position is clear – we do not support a state-based treaty or a Victorian Voice to parliament,” he said.

“Victorians delivered a clear verdict in the referendum, and we are listening.

“Jacinta Allan is now trying to push ahead with her own version, without transparency and without a mandate.

“Any decision I make will always be in the best interests of all Victorians, not just to grab headlines.”

Opposition Leader Brad Battin says the Liberals and Nationals are opposed to a state-based treaty or a Victorian Voice to parliament. Picture: Nadir Kinani

The government would likely have no problem passing legislation through parliament with the likely support of the Greens and Legalise Cannabis.

However crossbench MP David Limbrick said he would not support race-based laws.

“After Victorians rejected the federal version of this less than two years ago, they are fully justified in feeling that the government is ignoring their wishes,” the Libertarian MP said.

“We have already gotten a taste of how disastrous race-based politics can be with climbing bans in the Grampians. All the Indigenous ­bureaucracies have done so far is created division and resentment.

“Bureaucracy is not the answer, it is a massive part of the problem. Many millions of dollars are spent on Indigenous services every year, and yet people rarely see any benefit, and the gap on several indicators never closes.

“Victorians would be far better off to have bureaucracies like these shut down, and the money put back in their pockets.”

The national Voice proposal was voted down by 60.06 per cent of Australians, including 54.15 per cent of Victorians.

There are plans to make the taxpayer-funded body advising on Treaty permanent. Picture: Justin McManus

Ms Allan said: “The key difference to the referendum that was put nationwide a couple of years ago is that was changing the Constitution. This is not changing the Victorian Constitution, it is simply taking a commonsense approach.”

But Margaret Chambers, research fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs, said pushing ahead with such laws at a Victorian level was ­despite an “overwhelming democratic rejection by Victorians of the Voice proposal”.

“It is unbelievable Premier Jacinta Allan is set to divide the community with a state-based body,” she said.

“The Allan government’s proposal is a slap in the face of every Victorian that exercised their democratic right to vote No.”

Originally published as State opposition set to bin the planned Victorian Voice to parliament