Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question, and I thank him for the work that he's done over a long period of time in supporting a Voice to this parliament, including on the committee of which he was the joint chair along with Senator Patrick Dodson, a great Australian. I have read that report. It's a substantial contribution. The committee was established by the former government, but in a bipartisan way, as a result of the Uluru Statement from the Heart in 2017, which was itself, as you are aware, the end of a five-year process of consultation. After that report, of course, Calma and Langton produced their report. The member wasn't a member of the former cabinet, but we know from Ken Wyatt, who has my utmost respect—the former minister for Indigenous affairs in this place, who had the great honour of being the first Aboriginal Australian to hold that position—that it did go to the cabinet not once but twice previously. I have read that report. It's a substantial report. It indicates the principles that had been established then by the Referendum Working Group, which, as the member would be aware, has outlined eight principles going forward as well.

I would point this out: in terms of the process or way that constitutional change occurs, the Constitution outlines the principle, as the member would be aware—and I'd encourage him to read Justice French's contribution on the Constitution. But the member is a participant, not an observer. This is not the government's idea; this is an idea that has come from the bottom up, that the former government was responsible for.

Let me say this: in March, legislation will be introduced—

See this speech in context