Michael Mansell urges Anthony Albanese to dump Indigenous voice to parliament referendum and negotiate with ‘progressive’ opponents

A veteran Aboriginal activist is urging Anthony Albanese to cancel the referendum, legislate an advisory body and start treaty talks.

Michael Mansell, chairman of the Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania.

Veteran Aboriginal activist Michael Mansell is urging Anthony Albanese to cancel the voice referendum in the face of falling support and instead legislate an advisory body and start treaty talks.

Mr Mansell, who is chair of the Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania, told The Weekend Australian the Prime Minister should drop the referendum and negotiate with “progressive” voice opponents on alternatives.

The lawyer and leading advocate for Indigenous Tasmanians since the 1970s said these could include legislating a voice, Aboriginal-designated parliamentary seats and a national treaty and truth-telling process.

“We would hope that the PM would abandon the referendum – he can say ‘it’s not going to get up, the opinion polls keep sliding, I don’t want to polarise the Australian people on this issue’,” Mr Mansell said.

“Putting the so-called voice in the Constitution raises unnecessary constitutional concerns. They should stay away from a referendum and legislate now.”

Mr Albanese should reach out to “progressive” voice opponents to chart a unifying course forward for “real empowerment” of Aboriginal Australians, he said.

This could include states electing an Indigenous senator, as well as “getting on with truth telling and treaty”.

“We cannot get him to the table (on treaty) while he’s dealing with a referendum,” said Mr Mansell, who has stepped up his No campaign, including an addresses to the Royal Society on Sunday.

Newspoll suggests Tasmania has switched from a Yes state several months ago to a No state.

Tasmanian First Nations Yes campaigner Rodney Dillon. Picture: Peter Mathew

However, prominent Tasmanian First Nations Yes campaigner Rodney Dillon said the affirmative case could rebound, with himself and others stepping up their campaigns.

“It will probably fluctuate and I think it will be a close call in the end in Tasmania,” said Mr Dillon, of the Tasmanian Regional Aboriginal Communities Alliance.

He said Mr Mansell’s alternative would fail to provide long-overdue Constitutional recog­nition for Indigenous Australians.

“I think the voice is the best outcome for our people – it’s democratic and we’ll be recognised in the Constitution, where we’ve been invisible,” he said.

“This is a time when we can all come together and be part of something important.”

Mr Mansell, an attendee of the Uluru gathering that led to the Statement from the Heart, said the voice would of itself not achieve anything for Aboriginal people’s health, education or incarceration rates.

But Mr Dillon argued that the voice would improve both policy and programs.

“If we don’t have people there advising them (the government) what to do, we’ll keep getting the same results,” he said.