A First Nations Voice to Parliament protected by the Constitution is a key element of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
The Bill to enable the referendum became law in mid-June, but we are waiting for the referendum date to be announced.The referendum question contained in the Bill is:
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?
What is a referendum
- Find out more at Australian Electoral Commission.
Or click the following Reconciliation Australia links that interest you:
- Why do we need a First Nations Voice?
- How do we get a First Nations Voice to Parliament?
- What work has been done so far?
- What will be added to the Constitution?
- Guiding principles of the Voice
- Do Australians want change?
- Common myths and misbeliefs
- Multilingual information
- See learning resources and information
Why do we need a First Nations Voice?
A Voice to Parliament will give Indigenous communities a route to help inform policy and legal decisions that impact their lives. Giving people a say will lead to more effective results.Embedding a Voice in the Constitution would recognise the special place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia’s history, but importantly would also mean that it can’t be shut down by successive Governments.
This is important because Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and bodies have called for voice for close to 100 years.
MORE:
Reconciliation Australia (REAU)