Chief Minister Michael Gunner has slammed the Federal Government's rejection of the proposed constitutionally enshrined Indigenous voice in Parliament, saying a conversation about the idea was yet to be had.
Yesterday Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull ruled out the proposal, saying it was neither desirable nor capable of winning majority support at a referendum.
He also said the body would become seen as a third chamber of Parliament and that the Referendum Council had given no guidance about how the voice would work.
Mr Gunner said those details should have been a part of a conversation about the proposal stemming from the historic Uluru Convention in May.
"I think this is one more thing that the Australian Government's put in the too-hard basket," he said.
"It was a very significant meeting at Uluru.
"[Constitutional change] wasn't an easy thing to deal with.
"But the Australian Government's essentially said that it's too hard for us."
Mr Gunner would not say whether the proposal had his support.
"I support having the conversation, because we've got no idea what the voice means yet," he said.
"We don't know yet what the Aboriginal voice would mean and under the current government we never will."
The head of the Northern Land Council, Joe Morrison urged the Northern Territory Government to show leadership on making agreements with Indigenous people.
"I don't hold high expectations of the current [Federal] Government in being able to change its views about these things," he said.
"I think the Northern Territory could in fact play a significant role in providing leadership to the rest of the country."
Labor has promised to commence discussions about a treaty in the Northern Territory in this half of 2017.
Last week the Northern Territory Parliament threw out a proposal for a bill of rights, brought by Nhulunbuy independent Yingiya Mark Guyula.
