Peter Dutton looks past symbolism to Indigenous voice’s practical value

Australians who support a referendum on the Indigenous voice see Peter Dutton’s first remarks on the topic as an invitation to convince him the advisory body can improve the lives of the most disadvantaged.

Incoming Indigenous Australians minister Linda Burney. Picture: NCA NewsWire /Bianca De Marchi

Australians who support a referendum on the Indigenous voice see new Liberal leader Peter Dutton’s first remarks on the topic as an invitation to convince him the advisory body can improve the lives of the most disadvantaged Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Incoming Indigenous Australians minister Linda Burney has said she hopes for bipartisan ­support for a referendum, and on Monday Mr Dutton said: “We’ll have a look at what they’re proposing.

“I want the symbolic nature – which, I accept, is very important to many people – to be accompanied by practical responses.”

Ms Burney said she found the new Opposition Leader’s comments very encouraging.

“I think most members of this parliament want to be part of this nation-building effort,” Ms Burney said. “Together, we can take forward a referendum that Australians will be proud to vote for.”

The former Coalition government funded work ­towards the proposed design of an Indigenous voice but stopped short of committing to take ­Australians to a referendum that could have put it in the Constitution. Instead, former Indigenous Australians minister Ken Wyatt intended to enshrine the voice in legislation.

A report on the proposed ­design of the voice was accepted by the cabinet in which Mr Dutton was defence minister and ­recommended a national advisory body with representatives from 35 regions.

It would have provided non-binding advice to government and parliament on proposed laws ­directly affecting Indigenous ­people, according to the report finalised in December after consultations with 9400 Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, communities and organisations. When the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart called for an enshrined voice to advise parliament, Mr Dutton was among Coalition MPs who initially likened the proposal to “a third chamber”.

However, on Monday he indicated he was open to understanding how the voice could make a difference to the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with high rates of domestic violence

“I want to understand how we’re going to reduce the incidence of child abuse within those communities,” Mr Dutton said.

“I want to understand how it is that we’re going to allow more young girls to go on to education, how we can address infant mortality, and many other indicators.

“And as I say, it’s not been from a bad place, but we’ve failed in this policy area … I want to understand what it (the voice) leads to and how we can be constructive in helping Indigenous Australians also celebrate the great successes.”

The proposed design of the voice under the Morrison government was well advanced but incomplete. It had three tiers – local, regional and national – and would have required bureaucrats and politicians to listen to Indigenous communities before making decisions affecting them.

Former prime minister Scott Morrison told parliament in 2020: “If we are going to change the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the ground, we need their buy-in on the matters and policies that affect them.”