News

On this page we bring you a selection of the latest news about 
the Indigenous Voice to Parliament and the referendum

5 October 2023 National Indigenous Times: Central Land Council delegates vote Yes at Uluru

Elected grass-roots representatives of remote communities in Central Australia have used their most recent council meeting near Uluru to vote Yes to a Voice to parliament.  Click here to view

26 September 2023 ABC: Prime minister proposes joint parliamentary committee if Voice to Parliament is successful

Politicians from across the divide will be involved in developing the Voice to Parliament if the referendum succeeds, but the opposition has cast doubt on the process.  Click here to view

22 September 2023 The Guardian Australia: The astonishing lies of the no campaign burn like lurid rockets in our sky. We must not go saying no by Thomas Keneally

can’t believe this old line is running wild again. We have had land rights decisions (“They’re gonna take your house and barbecue pit, mate”); the Mabo decision (Again, “They’re gonna take, etc,”); followed by the Wik judgment of 1996 (“Mate, your swimming pool too!”); and now that crude three-times-disproved claim is back, with all the other astonishing lies. They burn like lurid rockets in our sky. And those who launch them, knowing that they will harm all who gaze upon them, are proud of them! Yet if in a public setting you accused these folk of being dishonest, they’d want to fight you to assert their honour.

They pretend that the new advisory body, the voice, representing 3% of us, will persuade the government to pass some berserk law that will disadvantage the other 97% of the vote and thus be sure to lose power at the next election! And in the gloom of mendacity, the small plea of First Nations people burns on: let us counsel you on what will work for us. In health, housing, schooling let us help ensure against waste and ill-aimed expensive policies that have no chance of working. And help us live as long as you. Click here to view

25 September 2023 The Conversation : Is it ethical non-Indigenous people get to decide on the Voice? Is it OK for one group to have rights others don’t? An ethicist weighs in

Australians will soon be asked to vote on whether we should “alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice”.  Click here to view

19 September 2023 SBS: Could these Nordic parliaments give a glimpse of what to expect from the Voice?

Sweden, Finland and Norway all have representative bodies for the Indigenous Sámi people. This is how they work.  Click here to view

30 August 2023 The Conversation: How do the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ cases stack up? Constitutional law experts take a look

In the coming weeks, Australians will be asked to vote “yes” or “no” to the constitutional amendment to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through establishing a body known as the Voice..  Click here to view

25 August 2023 Pearls and Irritations : The Voice: walking with the Australian people for a better future. By Henry Reynolds

When on the 7^th of February 1788 the British claimed the eastern half of Australia they left us with two abiding problems. They assumed that the First Nations were not in actual possession of their own homelands and that they had neither laws nor customs which could be given formal recognition. As a result they departed from what had been customary practice in North America of respecting what was called Indian title to traditional property and determining that the indigenous tribes held a form of internal sovereignty. They were ‘domestic dependent nations’ with whom many treaties were negotiated. The anomalous situation in New South Wales was noted by Jeremy Bentham, the leading political philosopher of the time. He wrote in 1792 that there had been no negotiations with the Aborigines and no treaties had been drafted and signed. He predicted that this would create enduring problems.’ The flaw’, he wrote,’ is an incurable one.’  Click here to view

22 August 2023 National Indigenous Times: ‘Patriot’ Pat Farmer arrives in Sydney to back Voice

Mr Farmer arrived at the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday morning, as part of his almost 15,000 kilometre run around Australia in support of the referendum.  Click here to view

21 August 2023 National Indigenous Times : ‘Your Answer Matters’: AEC launches major campaign ahead of Voice referendum

The Australian Electoral Commission has commenced the main phase of its referendum education drive with the launch of the Your Answer Matters campaign.  Click here to view

20 August 2023 SBS: President and Founder of Turbans 4 Australia, 2023 Australian of the Year Local Hero and Chair Diversity Now Australia, Amar Singh has set of on a 2 month trip around the country.

Amar Singh will cover 25, 000 kilometres as he travels around Australia to encourage people from multicultural backgrounds to support the Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the upcoming Referendum.  Click here to view

14 August 2023 The Conversation: Qantas throws weight behind Voice with travel for ‘yes’ campaigners

Qantas is providing travel for the Yes23 campaign and the Uluru Dialogue teams “so they can engage with regional and remote Australians”. Click here to view

11 August 2023 ABC: Have you come across any misinformation about the Voice to Parliament? Tell us

The referendum will be a watershed moment for Australians and both sides are working tirelessly to win over voters — but as with all campaigns, misinformation is inevitable. Click here to view and submit misinformation or go directly to form to submit

09 August 2023 SBS NITV: Remote communities will be the first to cast their votes in the Voice referendum

A council of Yolngu leaders has entrusted Indigenous activist Noel Pearson with a special message: take our support for a First Nations voice to Canberra. Click here to view article

06 August 2023 National Indigenous Times : Pearson asked to take ‘yes’ message stick to Canberra

A council of Yolngu leaders has entrusted Indigenous activist Noel Pearson with a special message: take our support for a First Nations voice to Canberra. Click here to view article

06 August 2023 The Guardian Australia: Anthony Albanese vows ‘no delaying or deferring’ of Indigenous voice vote

In Garma speech, PM says there is ‘nothing to fear and everything to gain’ and no vote in referendum would only lead to ‘more of the same’ Click here to view article

05 August 2023 The Guardian Australia : Noel Pearson says Indigenous voice is not about ‘party politics’ and will cut wasteful spending

The prime minister’s Garma speech was the “unequivocal” support for an Indigenous voice to parliament of an Australian leader, not a party politician, the Cape York leader, leading “yes” campaigner and Guugu-Yimithirr lawyer Noel Pearson has said. Click here to view article

05 August 2023 The Saturday Paper : The Pearson interview: ‘How does the elephant sit down with the mouse’

Kerry O’Brien It’s clear that the “Yes” campaign for this referendum has got off to a rocky start. The trend line away from the “Yes” is hard to deny. How do you see yourselves turning that trend around? Click here to view article

04 August 2023 Pearls and Irritations : No joy in ‘I told you so’: the Productivity Commission’s 2023 Closing the Gap Report

Last week the Productivity Commission released its draft Review of the National Closing the Gap Agreement. The National Agreement on Closing the Gap was launched with a lot of fanfare in July 2020, promising a new era of reform and a ‘genuine’ commitment of governments to work in partnership with First Nations peak organisations. Click here to view article

04 August 2023 The Conversation : The Voice is a simple and enduring idea with a past – and a promise

Yet the referendum debate is at risk of inundation, and too often misses the point. While there are many things the Voice cannot do, there is one thing it can do. It offers a permanent, public and culturally distinct way forward for Indigenous consensuses to develop and find their rightful place in national politics. Click here to view article

01 August 2023 The Australian Institute : ‘An Invitation That Should be Accepted – Leading Judges Support the Voice in Open Letter

An eminent group of retired judges have published an open letter to the people of Australia in support of a ‘Yes’ vote in the upcoming referendum on the Voice. Click here to view article / Click here to view Open Letter

26 July 2023 The New Daily: ‘Give it a chance’: Julie Bishop backs Voice to Parliament

Former Liberal deputy Julie Bishop says an Indigenous Voice to Parliament would be a “step in the right direction” and she believes Australians should vote “yes”. Click here to view article

24 July 2023 National Indigenous Times: New website launched to drive national Truth-telling

A new website aimed at empowering Truth-telling in Australia – Towards Truth – was launched Monday morning. Towards Truth is a partnership between the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and the UNSW Indigenous Law Centre (ILC), with significant support from pro bono partners across the legal field. Click here to view article

22 July 2023 SBS: We gave the Voice to Parliament pamphlets to fact checkers. Here’s what they said

The official Yes and No pamphlets in the Voice to Parliament race are now available online, and will soon be landing in Australian mailboxes. But the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is only able to publish the pamphlets as they were submitted, crucially without fact-checking their claims. Click here to view article

18 July 2023 The Guardian Australia: Johnathan Thurston, Eddie Betts and Evonne Goolagong Cawley back yes vote in Indigenous voice pamphlet

Sporting legends Johnathan Thurston, Eddie Betts and Evonne Goolagong Cawley have asked Australians to back the Indigenous voice, adding their names to the official referendum pamphlet to help make the case for a yes vote. Click here to view article

18 July 2023 SBS: What do they say? Can they be trusted? The Voice pamphlets hitting letterboxes, explained

The Yes and No camps in the Voice to Parliament referendum have signed off on their official pamphlets, and every household will get one. Here’s what you need to know. Click here to view article

18 July 2023 National Indigenous Times: Leeser calls out No campaign attacks on high-profile Indigenous Yes campaigners

Coalition MP and former shadow minister for Indigenous Australians Julian Leeser has condemned anti-Voice campaigners, accusing the “no” camp of strategically attacking high-profile Indigenous Australians who are in support of the Indigenous Voice to parliament.   Click to view article

18 July 2023 ABC: Constitutional lawyer Greg Craven furious after being quoted in Voice to Parliament No pamphlet

One of the nation’s most prominent constitutional lawyers is furious about being quoted in the official pamphlet for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament’s No campaign, flagging he is likely to make a complaint to the electoral commission.   Click to view article

11 July 2023 ABC: Indigenous community’s handling of COVID shows why Voice to Parliament needed, Fiona Stanley says

Former Australian of the Year Fiona Stanley believes Aboriginal people had the best response to COVID-19 “in the world”, and says it proves an Indigenous Voice to Parliament will improve health outcomes for First Nations people.   Click to view article

10 July 2023 ABC: Noel Pearson calls for Voice voters to seize ‘momentous’ chance for change

One of Australia’s most prominent Indigenous elders has made a passionate call to arms for the Voice in Queensland, declaring the state “ground zero” for the referendum and urging voters to seize a “momentous” occasion.   Click to view article

10 July 2023 The Conversation: Why is it legal to tell lies during the Voice referendum campaign?

Campaigning for the “yes” and “no” sides is well under way. However, misinformation and disinformation are a feature of some of the public discussion. Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney this week even accused the “no” campaign of engaging in “post-truth politics”.   Click to view article

06 July 2023 The Conversation: Grattan on Friday: Linda Burney fills the Voice’s in-tray, as the government battles to stop slide in yes vote

In a change of government tactics, Linda Burney this week deployed a sheet anchor to tie the Voice to practical outcomes. At the same time, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is weaponising the cost of living to flail it.   Click to view article

05 July 2023 NITV SBS: Here are the four areas Linda Burney wants the Voice to focus on

Linda Burney has given an emotional account of the untimely death of a friend as she sought to explain and bolster support for the Voice to Parliament.   Click to view article

05 July 2023 ABC: Indigenous Australians Minister outlines key priorities for the proposed Voice to Parliament

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney will name four priorities for the proposed Voice to Parliament in a speech to the National Press Club today, after growing pressure to detail how it would benefit First Nations people.  Click to view article

02 July 2023 National Indigenous Times : Big yes campaign push nationwide for Voice

Many thousands have turned out at rallies nationwide to back the Indigenous Voice to parliament, with organisers hoping momentum will build despite recent polls showing a decline in the yes vote.  Click to view article

27 June 2023 ABC: Megan Davis first read the constitution at age 12. Now she wants to change it to give her people a Voice to Parliament

Megan Davis found an old copy of the Australian Constitution at the back of a book when she was a girl. Thirty years later, she wants to change it to give the Voice to her people.  Click to view article

24 June 2023 The Saturday Paper: Thomas Mayo A very simple ‘Yes’

With the fearmongering tactics from sections of the “No” campaign intensifying, the referendum later this year is becoming a question of courage. Click to view article

19 June 2023 ABC: Senate passes referendum plan, cementing Voice to Parliament vote before end of the year

Australians will vote in their first referendum in more than two decades, with the Senate passing legislation to hold a vote on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament later this year. Click to view article

11 June 2023 The Guardian Australia: Indigenous voice crucial to treaty, Uluru statement co-author Megan Davis says

One of the architects of the Uluru statement from the heart has said constitutionally enshrined recognition is crucial to the success of all other treaties and called the voice a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to give Indigenous voices legal and social legitimacy. Click to view article

09 June 2023 National Indigenous Times: NT land councils unite to issue historic declaration supporting the Voice and constitutional recognitionoice, treaty, truth: compared to other settler nations, Australia is the exception, not the rule

The four Northern Territory Aboriginal land councils signed the Barunga Voice Declaration on Friday, addressing all Australians and urging them to support a Voice to Parliament. Click here to view article

09 June 2023 The Conversation: Voice, treaty, truth: compared to other settler nations, Australia is the exception, not the rule

For many non-Indigenous Australians, it might seem the Voice to Parliament – the first step in the Uluru Statement’s process of “voice, treaty, truth” – is a recent idea. Conservative voices have framed it as a dangerously untested prospect.But as First Nations have always known, voice, treaty and truth carry long histories. They’ve long been at the centre of Indigenous rights campaigns in Australia. They’ve also existed in other settler nations like New Zealand and Canada where treaties were forged at the point of colonisation. Click here to view article

08 June 2023 Maritime Union Australia press release: MUA launches inspiring film about the Voice to Parliament featuring Indigenous seafarer Vicki Morta

The Maritime Union of Australia’s National Indigenous Officer, Thomas Mayo is the Executive Producer of the new documentary COME WALK WITH US. Mr Mayo is a former wharfie, an author, a signatory to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and a leading voice for the Yes campaign in the lead up to the referendum later this year. Click here to view media release

08 June 2023 The Guardian Australia: Vote Liberal? You should vote yes for an Indigenous voice to parliament

A voice to parliament is fair, practical and constitutionally safe, making it well-aligned with Liberal values. Click here to view article

31 May 2023 ABC: Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum bill passes lower house

The legislation to set up the referendum on enshrining an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the constitution has passed the House of Representatives. Click here to view article

29 May 2023 The Conversation: Far from undermining democracy, The Voice will pluralise and enrich Australia’s democratic conversation

One version of this concern is that an Indigenous Voice violates the principle of equal citizenship and equality before the law. Another is that it introduces a divisive form of racial politics into our public life. Some claim it will have little impact on improving the lives of Indigenous people. Yet others say it will have too much power. Click here to view article.

25 May 2023 National Indigenous Times: Voice wording won’t change – Albanese

In confirming the government would act according to recommendations made by the joint select committee, Mr Albanese said the proposal was backed by years of consultation and was the best possible Voice proposal. Click here to read in full.

18 May 2023 SBS News: AFL and Rugby Australia publicly support the Voice to Parliament

The campaign to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament has gained more support, with the AFL and Rugby Australia both announcing public support for the Yes vote. The AFL issued a statement on social media on Thursday saying it “proudly supports the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Australian Constitution through the Voice to Parliament”. It comes as Rugby Australia announced its support through a full-page ad in the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper on Thursday offering support. Click here to view article.

18 May 2023 SBS News: What is the real question at the heart of the Voice referendum?

The campaign to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament has gained more support, with the AFL and Rugby Australia both announcing public support for the Yes vote. The AFL issued a statement on social media on Thursday saying it “proudly supports the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Australian Constitution through the Voice to Parliament”. It comes as Rugby Australia announced its support through a full-page ad in the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper on Thursday offering support. Click here to view article.

18 May 2023 SBS News AFL and Rugby Australia publicly support the Voice to Parliament

The campaign to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament has gained more support, with the AFL and Rugby Australia both announcing public support for the Yes vote. The AFL issued a statement on social media on Thursday saying it “proudly supports the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Australian Constitution through the Voice to Parliament”. It comes as Rugby Australia announced its support through a full-page ad in the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper on Thursday offering support. Click here to view article.

Labor-led Voice committee endorses the government’s proposed referendum wording

 12 May 2023, ABC News: A joint parliamentary inquiry examining the constitution alteration bill has released its findings after a six-week inquiry, urging the parliament to endorse Labor’s proposed Voice to Parliament referendum wording. Click here to view article.

18 May 2023 SBS News AFL and Rugby Australia publicly support the Voice to Parliament

The campaign to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament has gained more support, with the AFL and Rugby Australia both announcing public support for the Yes vote. The AFL issued a statement on social media on Thursday saying it “proudly supports the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Australian Constitution through the Voice to Parliament”. It comes as Rugby Australia announced its support through a full-page ad in the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper on Thursday offering support. Click here to view article.

May 9 2023: Clubs show broad support for Voice as responses to AFL’s request for stance trickle in

National Indigenous Times: AFL clubs are handing back marks of support for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament following a request from the league for each to advise on their position ahead of the referendum. Click here to view article.

March 2023 ABC News: Why Muslim Australians are likely to support the Indigenous Voice to Parliament

Muslim Australians are particularly supportive of Indigenous Australians.  The Islam in Australia survey conducted in 2019 found that reconciliation with Indigenous Australians is an issue about which 82 per cent of Muslim Australians are concerned or very concerned. The study also reported that 94 per cent agree or strongly agree that Indigenous Australians should be recognised in Australia’s Constitution. Click here to view article.

March 2023: Voice from the heart of Australia – The Weekly meets some of the women who have shepherded this idea through its 12-year road to resolution. The Voice means the world to them and they want Australia to understand why.

The Australian Women’s Weekly: As the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ camps settle into their corners, the women at the heart of the campaign for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament answer our most pressing questions and talk us through its rollercoaster ride to a referendum. Click here to view article.

29 April 2023 ABC News: Former federal Liberal minister Ken Wyatt urges Australians on all sides of Voice debate to speak up

Former Indigenous Australians minister Ken Wyatt has encouraged people to inform themselves about the Voice to Parliament, and debate the looming referendum. Click here to view article.

Former federal Liberal minister Ken Wyatt urges Australians on all sides of Voice debate to speak up

29/04/2023 ABC News: Former Indigenous Australians minister Ken Wyatt has encouraged people to inform themselves about the Voice to Parliament, and debate the looming referendum. Click here to view article.

“Should be passed in its current from” – Law Council of Australia confirm constitutional Voice amendment is legally sound

26/04/2023 National Indigenous Times: Law Council of Australia President Luke Murphy said the Council considers the wording of the proposed constitutional amendment “just and legally sound.” Click here to view article.

First Nations people have made a plea for ‘truth-telling’. By reckoning with its past, Australia can finally help improve our future

11/04/2023 The Conversation: Australia has never been good at listening to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Despite the truths that have already been told in processes like the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody or the Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families, time and again governments have ignored recommendations designed to address the impacts of Australia’s settler-colonial past and present. Click here to view article