'That is where the change has to happen': Noel Pearson insists the Voice has to advise executive government

The provision, a clause of the proposed change to the Australian constitution that would allow the Voice to advise executive government, has sparked the concern of at least one legal expert and the opposition over the possibility of high court challenges. The Coalition has also warned of an increase to the bureaucracy.

"Yes" proponents, such as Julian Leeser, say allowing the Voice access to executive government will assist with policies before important decisions are made in government, particularly cabinet, when it is far too late to make significant changes.

Speaking to Sky News Australia, Mr Pearson said the executive government is "where the action is".

"Do you know who the executive are? The executive are the bureaucrats and who doesn't want the bureaucrats to listen to communities?" he said.

"We're not gonna get change happening if the bureaucrats are not made to listen to the voice of the communities."

READ MORE:

Mr Pearson, one of the architects of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, said "the day-to-day" issue was getting the bureaucrats to listen to what the communities want.

"Because the changes are really down at the level of programs, the level of investment by the government, how the money is spent, where it is spent, what it is spent on, that is the meat and potatoes of change," he told Sky News Australia.

Mr Pearson said despite money being spent on Indigenous Affairs, "they're not getting progress".

"The bureaucracy has got to be sorted out," he said.

"And might I say, not just Indigenous communities. There'll be a lot of ground gained if the bureaucracy started listening to other Australian communities as well. But the situation in Indigenous Australia is desperate. We need the executive government to listen to people on the ground."