Indigenous referendum deal on Turnbull’s agenda

Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten will today try to reach a consensus on the referendum on indigenous Australians.

Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten will attempt to reach a consensus on how to recognise indigenous Australians in the Constitution when they meet today amid growing divisions over putting the reform to a referendum within months.

The meeting comes after Labor deputy leader Tanya Plibersek warned yesterday that the debate over an indigenous treaty could “slow momentum” for the constitutional change, a comment that could clear the ground for a bipartisan agreement.

Mr Shorten raised the prospect of a treaty during the federal election campaign, drawing a rebuke from Mr Turnbull on the ground that the treaty debate could derail a referendum on constitutional recognition that is far from assured of widespread public support.

Ms Plibersek emphasised yesterday that indigenous recognition should be the “first step” towards acknowledging the place of First Australians and not put at risk by other debates.

“I believe that it’s very important that all Australians unite to support recognition in the Constitution of the First Nation’s place in our national life,” Ms Plibersek told Sky News.

“Other issues, like treaties, need to be discussed and thought about over time. I wouldn’t like to see the discussion of a treaty in any way slow momentum towards constitutional recognition.”

Challenged over Mr Shorten’s move to fuel talk of a treaty, the Labor deputy leader argued the nation could “walk and chew gum at the same time” on the two issues.

Even so, her remarks contrasted with Mr Shorten’s endorsement at the weekend of Cape York leader Noel Pearson’s push for a “hook” to be inserted into the Constitution, from which other measures such as a treaty-like process could be delivered.

Mr Turnbull and Mr Shorten jointly appointed a referendum council to advise on the wording of the amendment to the Constitution, a fraught process to balance the ambitions of indigenous Australians against calculations over what could be acceptable to a majority of voters in a majority of states in a referendum.