Nationals leader David Littleproud urges government to create voice legislation before the referendum

Nationals leader David Littleproud says the government’s refusal to legislate priorities for the voice ahead of the referendum underscores voter confusion.

‘The government doesn‘t trust the Australian people to have the details so why would the Australian people trust them’, said Nationals leader David Littleproud. Picture: NCA NewsWIRE/Tertius Pickard

Nationals leader David Littleproud says the government’s refusal to declare that it will legislate priorities for the Indigenous voice to parliament goes to the heart of the dilemma facing Australian voters.

On Sunday Indigenous Australians minister Linda Burney was asked if the advisory body’s remit would be legislated and responded by saying decisions about what the indigenous voice would advise on would be “a two way process” between the government and the advisory body.

Mr Littleproud believes the government’s decision to create the legislation for the voice after a successful referendum is causing difficulties for Australians trying to decide how to vote at the voice referendum due to be held between October and December.

He said on Sunday that not knowing whether the voice’s priority areas would be legislated was part of the problem.

“Shouldn‘t the Australian people have that level of detail before they are asked to vote?” he said.

Ms Burney last week revealed the four areas she wants the voice to concentrate on in an address to the National Press Club. Her priorities are jobs, housing, health and education. She said the Commonwealth work-for-the-dole scheme was failing in 1000 communities across Australia. However, disparity between indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians is not confined to those four topics and Ms Burney indicated on Sunday that the voice would want to give advice beyond those four topics.

“Obviously there are other issues like baby birthweights, life expectancy,” Ms Burney said on ABC program Insiders.

“That scope should be a respectful discussion with the voice.

“It will be a two way process. It will be something based on trust.

Asked to confirm that she would not legislate on what the voice could and could not advise on, Ms Burney said: “The voice is an independent body chosen by Aboriginal people, to represent their views and their voices in Canberra. And I will respect that independence”.

The Central Land Council has revealed its priorities for the voice are housing, food security and jobs.

While Anthony Albanese has maintained that the legislation for the voice would be shaped by Australians themselves and the parliament, Mr Littleproud has repeatedly urged the government to develop it ahead of the referendum.

“The government doesn‘t trust the Australian people to have the details so why would the Australian people trust them,” he said.

“On something as serious as changing the nation‘s constitution we shouldn’t be speculating on anything.

“When you control the parliament as the government does you should be prepared to put the legislation so the Australian people can see it before they vote.”