Albanese urges respect for the principles of the Voice and to reject 'false choices'

The Prime Minister is to use a keynote speech on Sunday to the Chifley Research Centre Conference in Canberra to urge the federal parliamentarians to show respect for what the Voice stands for by "co-operating and uniting" to make it a reality.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has led concerns about the Voice proposal lacking detail, and is yet to announce a Liberal party position on support or whether Liberal members will have a free vote on referendum legislation. There has also been opposition to the Voice from Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe, who has raised issues of ceding sovereignty and political will to tackle problems such as high Indigenous incarceration.

In his speech, Mr Albanese is to distil the referendum's purpose as allowing Australians to vote on the principle of recognition and consultation.

"This is about strengthening the Parliament's understanding, not supplanting its authority. Not special power. Not a third chamber," he is expected to say.

"The Parliament can show its respect for that principle too, by co-operating and uniting to make it a reality.

"By rejecting the false choice between constitutional recognition and practical outcomes, and embracing the fact that we need constitutional recognition to improve practical outcomes."

In the next few weeks, Federal Parliament will deal with a bill to authorise the referendum later this year which would, if successful, enshrine the Voice in the constitution.

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Despite attending a meeting of the 21 members of the government's Indigenous referendum advisory group, Mr Dutton and the shadow attorney general Julian Leeser are unsatisfied with the consultation process and are still demanding more Voice detail.

"The Prime Minister's refusal to answer straightforward questions on how his Voice proposal will work is untenable. Australians deserve to be informed before voting at a referendum," Mr Dutton's spokesperson said after the Thursday meeting.

Mr Albanese will stress that there will be more information for people to examine in the "course of the year."

"The Voice won't administer funding. It will not deliver programs. It will not have any kind of veto power over decision-making," he is expected to say.

"But the mechanics of the Voice won't be written into the Constitution. That's not how it works."

He is optimistic for the referendum's success, despite "people out there, pushing misinformation on social media."

"Drumming up outrage, trying to start a culture war. That's an inevitable consequence of trying to achieve change," the Prime Minister is to say.

"There are always those who want to create confusion and provoke division, to try and stall progress.

"But moments of national decision, such as this referendum, are also an opportunity for our people to show their best qualities: their generosity, their sense of fairness, their optimism for the future."

The working group has advised that an introductory sentence be added to the proposed Voice to parliament amendment clearly recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia's first people in the constitution.

In the speech, Mr Albanese is to say that "Imposing decisions from Canberra" on First Nations people has not worked.

Delivered just before the start of the 2023 parliamentary year, Mr Albanese is to pitch the Voice to Parliament as the "best chance" to improve the lives of First Nations people.

"Governments on both sides have invested billions," he is expected to say. "But by and large, we have been repeating the same process and expecting a different outcome. Imposing decisions from Canberra."

"Mostly, with the best of intentions, but assuming that one size will fit all, and ignoring the wisdom of community."

It comes after Labor and Liberal state and territory first ministers signed up for the "Yes" case late on Thursday.

The new statement of intent by first ministers commits every state and territory to back the proposal, counter misinformation and ensure that the referendum process runs smoothly in their jurisdictions.

It also kicks off preliminary implementation work should the referendum be successful.

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