Anthony Albanese’s powerful speech doesn’t change the facts on the Indigenous voice to parliament

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to the constitutional amendment legislation in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Martin Ollman

Anthony Albanese has formalised Labor’s position of not changing the wording of the referendum on the Indigenous voice to parliament and executive government and rejecting any suggested compromise from supporters of the Voice aimed at ensuring its success.

The Prime Minister’s parliamentary speech on the referendum bill was explicit – there would be no change to the proposed wording and he sought to blame Peter Dutton and the Coalition for the intransigence.

While playing up minute differences of wording from the original Garma recommendation to suggest there had been big changes, Albanese absolutely rejected the argument and proposals for change from Yes supporters who feared inclusion of a wide-ranging voice impact on day-to-day government would lessen its chance of success.

Albanese also personally attacked the Opposition Leader as being “unworthy” in his opposition to the Voice and inferred there would have been changes if the Nationals and Liberals had not adopted positions against the referendum before the Parliamentary committee had finished its six-week hearings.

Singling out former Coalition Aboriginal Affairs spokesman, Julian Leeser, who resigned from the frontbench because he supported the Voice but wanted reference to executive government removed, Albanese said he respected his sincerity.

But, Albanese also rejected Lesser’s argument - and that of other Voice supporters - that simplifying the referendum and restricting the right to advice to just Parliament or the Ministry would make it more likely to succeed.

Public polls have shown a small but steady decline in support for the Voice referendum and a growth in opposition as the No campaign has argued for more details on how the Voice would work.

Noel Pearson has described some of this view as “bedwetters”.

Albanese simply said he did not accept the argument that the wording or impact of the Voice referendum should be changed just to increase the chance of success.

Albanese doesn’t accept the characterisation of his position as not offering change or setting up entrenched lines of argument, but the powerful parliamentary presentation from the Prime Minister on Thursday morning, with all its evident sincerity and emotion, does not change the fact there been no real change, no compromise and the debate is now on prescribed guidelines for the next six months.