Indigenous Voice referendum should be held by 2024, Liberal senator says

Liberal senator Andrew Bragg says Australians should vote on enshrining an Indigenous Voice in the constitution in January 2024, backing calls from the authors of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

Delegates from the Uluru Dialogue met in Queensland over the weekend, where they reaffirmed their support for a constitutionally enshrined Voice.

Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg backed calls from Indigenous leaders to hold a referendum on enshrining an Indigenous Voice in the constitution in the next two years.Credit: ABC

The delegates also suggested two key dates a poll could be held: on May 27 2023, the 56th anniversary of the 1967 referendum, or on January 27 2024.

Appearing on the ABC’s Q+A on Thursday evening, Bragg said it would be important for the next government to keep faith with the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

“There must be a proper analysis, which is run by Indigenous people principally, about what sort of amendments would be adequate ... and I think we can achieve that within 18 months,” he said.

“I’ve always liked the idea of trying to improve the debate around Australia Day, I do think that the 27th of January 2024 is a target we should try and set sail for.”

Bragg has long supported an Indigenous Voice, raising the issue in his first speech to parliament in 2019. But his backing of a referendum conflicts with his party’s position on the issue.

The Coalition does not support holding a referendum to enshrine a Voice in the constitution. It has instead assigned $31.8 million towards plans to legislate local and regional Voice bodies over the next financial year.

Indigenous Australians Minister Ken Wyatt had promised to legislate a Voice before the election, before walking back on that pledge last year.

Labor frontbencher Chris Bowen told Q+A that holding a referendum on the Voice would be an absolute priority for his party if elected next month.

“It would be equivalent to Gough [Whitlam] sifting the soil into the hands of Vincent Lingiari and Kevin [Rudd] apologising, this has to happen,” he said.

Labor frontbencher Chris Bowen told Q+A that holding a referendum on the Voice would be an absolute priority for his party if elected next month.Credit: ABC

But when asked by host Stan Grant if he would commit to either of the referendum dates put forward by the Uluru dialogue, Bowen refused to make any guarantees without first consulting Indigenous people.

“We would convene the delegates to the Uluru Statement again in the early days of the government … to map out with them the way forward,” he said.

He also said a referendum would be more likely in the second half of an Albanese government, and suggested it may fail without bipartisan support from the Coalition.

“It would need bipartisanship, only eight referendums have passed, none without bipartisan support, in all our life … it’s unthinkable we would put it to the people and lose,” he said.

But Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous at UNSW, Professor Megan Davis, disagreed with Bowen’s comments.

“It’s not so much bipartisanship because what experts say today is that Australians’ level of trust in politicians and public institutions is so low that you’re likely to have in the future a referendum where both sides support and Australians vote no,” she said.

Davis, a constitutional law expert and co-chair of the Uluru Dialogue, said Indigenous people were sick of waiting for action on a Voice.

“It’s been 16 years since Howard kicked us off, it’s been 11 years since the Gillard expert panel, we’ve had ten reports, seven processes, and it’s been five since the Uluru Statement from the Heart,” she said.

“A majority of Australian people would vote yes.”

Liberal Party ‘lied about an ICAC’: Bowen

The panel was also quizzed about the Liberal Party’s abandonment of its 2019 election promise to establish a commonwealth integrity commission. While exposure drafts were released for public comment, a bill was never tabled.

Under the government’s draft plan, a federal ICAC would not hold public hearings or make findings of corruption, instead referring matters to prosecuting agencies.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said a federal system should not resemble the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption, which he described on Thursday as a “kangaroo court” which had the potential to ruin reputations.

Bragg said an anti-corruption commission in Canberra is “a good idea” but “the Labor party wouldn’t agree” so the Liberals would have to try to do it themselves if they’re returned to power. He said the commission should have public hearings.

Labor MP Chris Bowen said the Liberal Party “lied about an ICAC” and the model proposed by them is “a joke”.

“What would it take to get an independent federal ICAC? A change of government,” Bowen said. “It should have public hearings, it should be retrospective, it should have teeth.

“I do not accept that politicians should be held to a different account to other public officials.”

Bowen said it’s “a farce” to suggest the government couldn’t introduce legislation just because Labor didn’t agree to it, and joked: “This is wonderful news, because it means we now have power of veto as the opposition”.

He said the federal integrity commission proposed by Labor would provide ministers and public officials with advice about good conduct, in addition to investigating the matters it chooses in the public interest.

Jacqueline Maley cuts through the noise of the federal election campaign with news, views and expert analysis. Sign up to our Australia Votes 2022 newsletter here.