Anthony Albanese confirms his government will walk away from the Indigenous voice to parliament altogether if No vote succeeds

Anthony Albanese has also warned that tackling Indigenous disadvantage will not be as effective without a voice.

Anthony Albanese cast his Yes vote for the voice at Marrickville town hall with his son Nathan on Saturday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Anthony Albanese says his government will walk away from the Indigenous voice to parliament altogether if the referendum is voted down next weekend, warning that trying to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people won’t be as effective without a constitutionally enshrined advisory body.

The Prime Minister also questioned why the Coalition had the position of an Indigenous Australians spokesperson, held by Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, if they didn’t want to listen to Aboriginal people.

Mr Albanese hit out at what he said was a deliberate strategy by the No campaign to confuse voters, including “absurd debates” over whether the voice will advise the Reserve Bank of Australia on interest rates or the length of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

“That is all a conscious decision to wreck and to confuse,” Mr Albanese told ABC’s Insiders program.

With just six days to go until polling day and 2.2 million Australians having already voted, Mr Albanese said it was “correct” to suggest his government would walk away from the voice altogether.

“We will continue to do what we can to listen to Indigenous Australians. We try that now. But Indigenous Australians are saying that they want it to be enshrined (in the Constitution),” he said.

“We‘re already undertaking measures (to tackle Indigenous disadvantage) but, in my view, it won’t be as effective as having a body, a voice to be listened to.

“But we‘ll continue to do things like we’re replacing the remote jobs program with a program for employment that actually creates real jobs with real wages. We’ll continue to invest in justice reinvestment, looking at programs like (in the NSW town of) Bourke, that work effectively. We’ll continue to invest in community health. But what a voice will do is provide for an opportunity for us to replicate the success stories.

“There are success stories out there. Success stories where Indigenous kids are going to school, where health programs are being improved.”

Mr Albanese, who voted Yes on Saturday, said he remained optimistic about the result on October 14 and the government would explain Australia’s position to the international community regardless of the outcome.

Pressed on whether a No vote would damage Australia’s reputation internationally and the country would be diminished, he said: “I‘m hoping we vote Yes because the debate here is whether Australia will enlarge ourselves, whether (we are) a country that looks for hope and optimism and for the future, or whether we’re shrink in on ourselves.

“Quite clearly, Australia is being watched at this time in terms of the referendum for how we‘re perceived. And it will be seen as an uplifting moment, it will be seen that Australia has come to terms of their history, that we’re mature nation … Australia is last in the queue when it comes to acknowledging the fullness and richness of our history.”

Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley said it was ironic people were asking the Coalition how it would help Indigenous Australians in the event of a No vote because it was Mr Albanese’s voice referendum.

She said the Coalition absolutely remained committed to regional and local voices and a second referendum, without outlining any other measures to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

“It‘s a lose-lose. Whatever the result is on Saturday, it will be bad, divisive and unhappy for Australians the next day,” Ms Ley told Sky News’s Sunday Agenda program.

“So we do need to bring the country together and, of course, as my colleagues focus on how we look at the events beyond the 15th of October, that’s where we’re all thinking because to see this referendum divide the country the way it has gives me no joy.

“I won’t be happy, by the way, if No wins. I will be voting No with a heavy heart and I explain that in detail to everyone who asks me and I‘m pleased that so many people are engaging with the referendum, even though they don’t have the detail, even though they don’t have the answers that they’re desperately seeking with only one week to go.”

Ms Ley said the voice referendum had not helped close the gap, bring Australians together or improve outcomes for Indigenous people.

“We need to remember that the voice is not going to produce those answers for Indigenous Australians. It simply isn’t,” she said.

“But we do want to see the work that every Australian expects from all sides of politics.”