The campaign for the Indigenous voice to parliament needs a reset in New South Wales, according to the state’s Aboriginal affairs minister David Harris, as polling shows support in the state is slipping.
But Harris praised the efforts of former treasurer and senior Liberal MP Matt Kean for his support for the yes campaign.
The call for a recalibration comes after a poll published at the weekend showed support for the voice was softening in NSW and heading towards a defeat, alongside Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.
Harris said the issue had been portrayed as the aspiration of Anthony Albanese and the Labor party rather than a proposal from Aboriginal people to ensure they were included and considered.
“This has been put in a realm of, ‘this is a view from a particular prime minister and a particular political party’. That’s very wrong,” Harris said.
“Aboriginal people have worked on this for well over a decade. It is their referendum and cheap politics skewer the whole concept.
“I’m a little bit saddened that it’s fallen into that. We have to get it back on track.”
The state government has committed to supporting the voice, but the premier, Chris Minns, has not been a highly visible figure of the campaign thus far.
Harris said the government would be putting forward “some initiatives soon” while praising the roles of politicians on both sides of parliament for supporting the voice, including environment minister Penny Sharpe and Kean.
“There will be a united effort as we go forward to push the benefits of a yes vote,” Harris said of the cross-parliamentary efforts.
What has happened already?
The Albanese government has put forward the referendum question: "A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this proposed alteration?"
The PM also suggested three sentences be added to the constitution:
- There shall be a body, to be called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.
- The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice may make representations to the Parliament and the Executive Government of the Commonwealth on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples;
- The Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws with respect to matters relating to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, including its composition, functions, powers and procedures.
How would it work?
The voice would be able to make recommendations to the Australian parliament and government on matters relating to the social, spiritual and economic wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The voice would be able to table formal advice in parliament and a parliamentary committee would consider that advice. But the voice co-design report said all elements would be non-justiciable, meaning there could not be a court challenge and no law could be invalidated based on this consultation.
How would it be structured?
The co-design report recommended the national voice have 24 members, encompassing two from each state, the Northern Territory, ACT and Torres Strait. A further five members would represent remote areas and an additional member would represent Torres Strait Islanders living on the mainland.
Members would serve four-year terms, with half the membership determined every two years.
He dismissed the poll published in the Nine newspapers that showed support in NSW had fallen to 49% as something that was “always going to happen” when people got stuck into the “miniature” and he expected it to rise again before the vote.
While NSW Labor MPs have come out in support of the voice, the Liberals have not.
The opposition leader, Mark Speakman, has said it was up to each member to decide their position and he would not be telling anyone else how to vote.
Speakman is yet to make his personal position public but has flagged he would do so “very shortly”.
Kean has been a vocal member of the yes campaign and earlier this month visited his seat of Hornsby with Indigenous leader Noel Pearson and federal MP Julian Leeser to promote the voice.
He said the feeling was “very optimistic” and that people wanted to know more.
“I’m excited by the opportunity to engage with people across the community and political spectrum on these important issues,” he said.
“I’m voting yes because I believe the voice will help create one Australia, where all Australians, and not some, will share the full birthright of what it means to be born in this wonderful land.”
Kean also appeared alongside the government’s upper house leader Sharpe at the start of the month at a yes rally in Sydney.
Shape has actively campaigned for the voice and told the crowd there had been a “fire lit” across the country.
“Everyone is having the [conversation] about how we step forward with Aboriginal people,” she told the crowd. “We need to do this and we finally have the chance to.”
Leeser stood down from the federal Coalition’s frontbench after Peter Dutton announced his opposition to the voice in a moment seen by many as a turning point for the no campaign.
