Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has asked "if not now, when?" for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament as he warns a failed referendum will reflect poorly on Australia.
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Mr Albanese has also reaffirmed he has no plans to change the date of Australian Day.
The forthcoming referendum on the Voice and long-running debate about January 26 have dominated the political debate surrounding this year's Australia Day.
The latest flashpoint in the Voice debate came on Wednesday, after Greens senator Lidia Thorpe revealed she would vote against the plan unless she could be assured that First Nations sovereignty wouldn't be ceded.
Her comments were met with disappointment from newly announced Senior Australian of the Year and one of the architects of the Indigenous advisory body, Professor Tom Calma, who said he felt "a bit offended" by Senator Thorpe's position.
'This is an opportunity for Australia'
Mr Albanese said he wouldn't be drawn into "partisan politics" when asked on Thursday to comment on Senator Thorpe's stance.
Instead, Mr Albanese again sought to make the case for a constitutionally enshrined Voice with a direct appeal to politicians and the public.
"It's missing from our constitution," he told reporters after the annual Australia Day flag raising and citizenship ceremony on the banks of Lake Burley Griffin.
"And I say this: if not now, when? If not now, when will this change occur? And if not the people of Australia this year, who will make this change, which will improve our country, improve our national unity?
"This is an opportunity for Australia."
Mr Albanese said a successful referendum later this year would be an "act of reconciliation".
He also issued a warning about what a failed vote would mean for reconciliation and the perception of Australia around the world.
"If the referendum is not successful, I think people know that there will not be a moment that shows respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, that I think doesn't show the maturity of us as a nation, non-Indigenous Australians, of who we are, acknowledging the fullness and richness of our history, but also the way that we're perceived by the world as well," he said.
Mr Albanese this week said he was willing to work with Liberal leader Peter Dutton on the Voice as he attempts to de-politicise the push for constitutional recognition.
Asked about the offer on Thursday, Mr Dutton again demanded the Prime Minister release more detail about the proposed model for the advisory body.
"How can Australians make a decision when they're not properly informed?" he told reporters outside Brisbane.
"As you move around the community, it is quite obvious that people don't understand what it is that the Prime Minister's talking about."
'You can write your own future'
Earlier on Thursday, Mr Albanese used his speech to the citizenship ceremony to send a message of hope to the youngest new Australians.
"I want you to know that you are now becoming citizens of a country where no matter where you live, or who you worship, no matter who you love or what your last name is, you can write your own future," Mr Albanese told the annual flag raising and citizenship ceremony on the banks of Lake Burley Griffin.
More than 19,000 people will become Australian citizens at ceremonies this week across the country, pledging their allegiance to what Mr Albanese described as the "greatest country on earth".
Among those at the ceremony in Canberra were people hailing from Nigeria, Mexico, Thailand, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Iran, Egypt, Malaysia and the United States.
"You bring us the world," Mr Albanese said.
"And you bring us your drive, your passion, your talent and aspiration."
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
