‘Certainly want this’: Anthony Albanese backs Voice leaders despite poll slump

The Prime Minister has been grilled over the mixed reception to the Voice to parliament, including if Lidia Thorpe could pose a risk to the ‘yes’ vote.

Anthony Albanese has backed in the leadership of the Yes campaign, despite flagging support for the Voice to parliament referendum.

The Prime Minister remained confident Australians will return a yes vote in the referendum, due to be held in the spring, as he denied vocal ‘no’ campaigners Lidia Thorpe and Jacinta Price had successfully muddied the water.

He was asked on ABC Coffs Coast radio if he could understand why voters were slow to get behind the Voice given Senator Thorpe and Senator Price’s vocal criticism.

Mr Albanese said the “media” should not confuse audiences about the support for the Voice among First Nations people, despite the two senator’s prominence in the two sides of the ‘no’ camp.

Mr Albanese is confident Australians will return a ‘yes’ vote. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Lidia Thorpe is a key member of the Blak sovereign movement. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“The media have a responsibility, frankly, you named the two people and you could name Warren Mundine as well who are supporting no from different perspectives,” he said.

“From Lidia Thorpe’s perspective, saying it doesn’t go far enough.

“From the other no camp, Warren Mundine and Jactina Price, who are associated with a very conservative political view, voting no.”

He said in contrast, Indigenous leaders involved in the ‘yes’ camp had been campaigning for the Voice “for a long period of time” as their preferred model.

“If you look at Aunty Pat Anderson, you look at the Dodsons, you look at Noel Pearson, Marcia Langton, Tom Calma, the senior Australian of the year, all of the northern land councils, the representative bodies in the Torres Strait.

Voice advocate Pat Anderson was one of the architects of the Uluru Statement. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“You look at all of these Indigenous leaders, are all campaigning very strongly as they have for a long period of time for constitutional recognition.”

“This is something that was promised and talked about by the Howard government last century. If we don’t recognise Indigenous Australians in our constitution now, when will we?

“This is unfinished business and I believe it will be a moment of national unity just like the apology to stolen generations was after it was opposed by some people as well for a long period of time.

“When it got done, it did lift up our nation, it was positive and no one now says that was the wrong thing to do, and I think that constitutional recognition and a yes vote for the referendum will be the same.”

The latest Newspoll, published in the Australian on Monday, suggested just 43 per cent were in favour of the voice, 47 per cent opposed and 10 per cent remained undecided.

It is the first lead the ‘no’ campaign has held in the Newspoll.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has called for Mr Albanese to scrap the referendum should the polls show it would not get up.

When asked about the softening voter sentiment and if the Voice was something First Nations people actually wanted, Mr Albanese fired back.

“First Nations people certainly want this. We know that all the figures show that up to 90 per cent of First Nations people,” he began before Ms Poole cut him off.

Mr Albanese said majority of First Nations people support the Voice. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“Where do you get that figure from? Do you go into remote communities and ask everybody?” she asked.

“First Nations people have done that. There has been polling that showed the lowest figure that I've seen of polling among First Nations people is above 80 per cent.”

Ms Poole questioned whether any of that polling had taken place in her region: “When I’m speaking here on the ground, I’m getting a very mixed response when I’m calling and asking.”

Mr Albanese reiterated the idea for the Voice did not come from Canberra or politicians, but from the Statement from the Heart, and was stress tested through the referendum working group and a recent parliamentary inquiry.

“It is a gracious and generous offer that comes from First Nations people themselves. And that's why the yes campaign has been led by First Nations people,” he said.

Originally published as ‘Certainly want this’: Anthony Albanese backs Voice leaders despite poll slump