Innes Willox says most of his members are not advocating for the Indigenous voice to parliament

Australian Industry Group, chief Innes Willox says most of his organisation’s members have not come to a position on the Indigenous voice to parliament.

Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox Innes Willox addresses the National Press Club in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Beach

The head of a leading employer group says most company leaders have not come to a position on the Indigenous voice to parliament, despite the Albanese government claiming corporate Australia is behind its Yes campaign.

Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox said, while the body backed constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, it did not have a firm position on the voice referendum.

“We said that recognition is overdue, but we haven’t taken a position on the nub of the voice. We take the view that of our broad membership, there are going to be a range of views and perspectives within that and there are,” he said in an address to the National Press Club.

“I’ve got to say among our membership, the great bulk have not expressed a view or publicly expressed a view. And they’re happy not to express a view.”

The Ai Group and partner organisations represent more than 60,000 businesses employing more than one million staff, which, according to its websites, “includes businesses of all sizes, from large international companies operating in Australia and iconic Australian brands to family-run SMEs”.

Businesses that have so far come out in support of the voice include Qantas, Wesfarmers, ANZ, Lendlease and Woolworths.

However, Big W – which is owned by Woolworths – last month dumped in store announcements that supported the voice after receiving “feedback” from its customers.

“Based on customer and store team feedback, we will be reverting to the previous acknowledgment of country in-store message. We recognise and respect our team and customers have varying views and perspectives,” a Big W spokesman said at the time.

Despite not personally taking a position on the voice, the Ai Group boss defended the business community against Coalition Leader Peter Dutton’s criticism that they should not be advocating for the voice to pass.

Mr Dutton said in April: “some business leaders need to stop craving popularity on social media by signing up to every social cause, even though they may not believe in it”.

Mr Willox said businesses had every right to campaign for causes that interested them.

“I don’t think you can silence the voice of business when it comes to issues which they believe impact them,” he said. “I think businesses have every right to put forward an argument as long as it’s properly explained and understood and supported by shareholders … customers and by staff.”