‘Give it a chance’: Julie Bishop backs the Voice

The ex-deputy leader has publicly declared her position on the Indigenous Voice to parliament.

Former Liberal Party foreign minister Julie Bishop has thrown her support behind the Indigenous Voice to parliament, calling it a “step in the right direction”.

Ms Bishop, who was also the party’s deputy leader for 11 years, was asked about her views on the proposed advisory body during an appearance at the National Press Club in Canberra, and responded by urging Australians to give the Voice “a chance”.

Former Liberal Party minister Julie Bishop addressed the National Press Club in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“Personally, my message to anyone who wants to listen to what I have to say is that I believe that it is a step in the right direction,” she told reporters on Wednesday.

“I sat through too many of those Closing the Gap speeches in parliament to sense that what we were doing was working to close the disparity and inequality between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations.

“In some instances, the key measures were getting worse, not better; so it’s not a question of money, it’s not a question of politicians coming up with policies, it’s a question of giving Indigenous people the franchise to make decisions to implement policies that will work.

“We’ve got to give it a chance.”

This is the first time Ms Bishop has publicly declared her personal position on the Voice – even though the council of the Australian National University, of which she is chancellor, declared its unreserved support of the Yes campaign in April.

She stands opposed to her former party which, under Peter Dutton’s leadership, has actively campaigned against the Indigenous Voice to parliament.

Ms Bishop, former Liberal deputy leader and foreign minister, urged Australians to give the Voice a chance. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

But current Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton, announced the party would campaign against the Voice. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

But Ms Bishop refused to comment on whether she was disappointed in the Liberal Party’s decision to campaign for the No vote, or disappointed in Mr Dutton’s grim warnings that the advisory body would be divisive and re-racialise Australia.

“I don’t express emotions these days about what goes on in politics,” she said.

“I’m not excited, I’m not disappointed. I’m pragmatic about the choices that political parties take.”

Instead Ms Bishop acknowledged that the complexity of the Voice debate was exacerbated by the lack of bipartisan support in politics and within Indigenous communities as demonstrated by having two prominent Indigenous leaders in Noel Pearson and Warren Mundine on opposite sides.

“I think that confuses people and the challenge for this referendum–and I needn’t spell it out to this room because you all understand – is that the more complex the issue, the less bipartisan it is, the less likely it is to succeed,” she said.

She noted that of the eight referendums that have succeeded through Australia’s history, being “no-brainers” and having bipartisan support was key to winning the majority of votes in the majority of states.

“My position, as private citizen Julie Bishop and as Chancellor Bishop and chairman is to support the Yes case for I believe that many Indigenous people whom I respect greatly have put a lot of thought into this and they believe that it is a step in the right direction,” Ms Bishop continued.

“No-one’s claiming that it’s going to end in equality and disparity, but surely we have to come from something that come from Indigenous people themselves.”

It is not the first time a prominent former Liberal Party figure has shared their thoughts on the Voice, with former Liberal Prime Minister John Howard predicting the referendum will fail.

Fellow former Liberal PM Tony Abbott has also been a key voice against the Indigenous Voice to parliament, posing grim warnings about the long-term impacts of the advisory body.

But the Labor Party has continued to push for the referendum, which Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has slated to be held “sometime” between October and December.

Originally published as ‘Give it a chance’: Julie Bishop backs the Voice