Anthony Albanese dismisses Indigenous voice to parliament poll suggesting ‘Yes’ vote has fallen to 46pc

Anthony Albanese challenges new poll results suggesting the number of people likely to vote Yes has dropped to 46pc.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Saturday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Seb Haggett

Anthony Albanese says there is no downside to an Indigenous voice to parliament and executive government as he continues to pursue his moment of national unity amid polling that indicates dwindling support for the referendum.

Reflecting on the 1967 referendum, the recognition of the legal fiction of terra nullius and the apology to the Stolen Generations, the Prime Minister has batted away polling numbers that show less than 50 per cent of the population would vote Yes.

A new poll from JWS Research, reported in The Saturday Telegraph, revealed people leaning toward a Yes vote has dropped to 46 per cent as the Senate passed the referendum legislation on Monday with 52 votes to 19.

“There’s a different poll every day,” the Prime Minister said in Sydney on Saturday.

“All of the polls, including the one you’re referring to, (comes) from some company, and I note that a week ago, there was a front-page story which came straight from the No camp last Sunday.

“So every poll, including the one that was mentioned today, of course, has the ‘Yes’ vote higher than the ‘No’ vote.”

Anthony Albanese has urged Australians to accept the voice's ‘gracious and generous offer’. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Mr Albanese made an impassioned plea for Australians to accept the “gracious and generous offer” to walk forward together in unity.

“Just like the 1967 referendum was, just like the recognition of the fiction of terra nullius that occurred, just as the apology to the Stolen Generations were all moments of national unity, that made our country stronger, that made our country more united and made it more reconciled,” he said.

“This is a positive change that will not make or have any downside. This is all upside. And I sincerely hope that Australians do vote ‘Yes’.”

The comments come as the Prime Minister rejected Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s calls to delay or change the referendum.

The Liberal leader said Mr Albanese should delay the referendum if he believed it would fail to ensure reconciliation is not set back.

“The Prime Minister of the day has the option before him now to work with us to say to the Australian public that we will go forward in a unifying, not dividing, moment in October of this year. That is the hand of friendship that we extend to the government today,” Mr Dutton said earlier this week.

“We propose to legislate the voice. Let’s do that. Let’s sit down and work together on the drafting of that and make sure that Australians can understand how it works, good and bad, but let them be informed.”

Mr Albanese also spruiked his government’s childcare subsidies that will take effect on July 1 and assured childcare fees would be monitored as the changes were enacted.

“The increase in childcare subsidy, the changes to the thresholds, will make an enormous difference. This is not welfare. This is economic reform. It will boost workforce participation. It will boost productivity and it will benefit our economy,” he said.

He said Coalition criticisms claiming the subsidy would add to inflation was “unwanted”.

“It is extraordinary that the Opposition doesn’t seem to understand that early learning and childcare is about productivity and that’s why these changes are so welcomed by the business community.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton urged Anthony Albanese to delay the referendum. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The Prime Minister also turned to international matters as Russian authorities issued an arrest warrant for Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner paramilitary group, on charges of mutiny after he called on his troops to oust the country’s military leadership.

“Well, my view is very clear … that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is illegal, is a breach of international law. (It) shows no respect for the sovereignty of a democratic nation, and Russia should withdraw from this action,” Mr Albanese said.

“It should withdraw today. It is Russia and its involvement that keeps this war going.”

He made “no apologies” for blocking a second Russian embassy to be formed within proximity to Parliament House in Canberra as Russia lodged High Court action against the federal government.

“I’m very confident that it will be resolved appropriately and in accordance with Australian law. The legislation … was passed unanimously through the House of Representatives and through the Senate and we’re very confident about our legal position.”