Anthony Albanese rejects John Howard’s warning that Indigenous Voice could be ‘coercive’

Anthony Albanese has hit back at criticism on multiple fronts amid a parliamentary scandal and a revolutionary proposal.

Anthony Albanese has defended his proposal for an Indigenous Voice to parliament in the face of criticism from former prime minister John Howard.

Speaking to reporters in the Torres Strait, the Prime Minister rejected Mr Howard’s warning the Voice could be a “coercive” body in parliament.

“With respect to John Howard, I don’t think that overwhelmingly that I would regard his government as a model for how to advance reconciliation in this country,” Mr Albanese said on Thursday.

“What we need to do is to actually listen to people. I don’t want this to be a top down thing.”

Mr Albanese said the advice he had been given was that the Voice would not hold sway over parliament but instead give Indigenous people the ability to have a say on issues that affected them.

“It’s very clear that the government remains sovereign and the Voice has an advisory role only,” Mr Albanese said.

Mr Albanese spent Thursday meeting with members of the Torres Strait Islands community, including taking part in a leaders roundtable to discuss the Voice to parliament.

Mr Albanese took to the federal election the promise to implement the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full to advance reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia.

As part of implementing the statement, Mr Albanese has vowed to hold a referendum within the next three years on amending the constitution to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to advise parliament.

Peter Dutton has accused Anthony Albanese of overreacting in his response to the Scott Morrison secret ministries revelations. Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Swift

Mr Albanese has this week also fielded criticism from the Coalition over his response to the Scott Morrison ministerial jobs scandal.

The Prime Minister lashed his predecessor over revelations Mr Morrison had himself secretly sworn into at least five additional portfolios during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr Albanese has sought legal advice on the matter from the solicitor-general.

Peter Dutton earlier on Thursday accused Mr Albanese of being “borderline hysterical” in his reaction to the revelations.

“He sounded more like an opposition leader than a prime minister in the last couple of days and borderline hysterical,” the Opposition Leader told 2GB.

“But he sees political opportunity and he’s taken it – fair enough.”

Former prime minister Scott Morrison has defended his actions. Picture: Gaye Gerard/NCA NewsWire

Mr Dutton said he could “understand” why his colleagues were upset by Mr Morrison’s decision to assume secondary control of the health, finance, treasury, home affairs and resources ministries between March 2020 and May 2021.

Mr Dutton chastised Mr Morrison for doing the wrong thing but said the former prime minister had “not gained anything out of this”.

“Obviously, he’s done the wrong thing here, and it’s certainly not something I would do if I was prime minister,” Mr Dutton said.

“(But) I think most people frankly want to move on and start dealing with issues that are more important.”

Mr Morrison has defended his decision to grant himself control of the health, treasury, finance and home affairs departments as a necessary “last resort” given the uncertain environment created by the pandemic.

He said he never used his power in any of these ministries, despite blindsiding many of his colleagues by taking over them in secret.

Mr Morrison used his control of the resources portfolio to gazump a controversial offshore gas project in NSW, which was unpopular with voters in under-threat coastal electorates.