Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Given I'm asked about the Voice, I would like to acknowledge, if I may, the ten leaders from Empowered Communities who are in the President's Gallery today as part of their visit to Canberra to advocate, from the grassroots, for constitutional recognition through the Voice to Parliament.

Senator Hanson, I appreciate your position on the Voice. I think you have made that clear, and probably no answer I will give you will satisfy you, because you have made your opposition to this clear. I would first make the point that the Voice is about two things. It is about recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our Constitution, and it is about consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on matters that affect them.

In terms of the various aspects of detail, I would make two points. First, the referendum working group have already offered principles of what the Voice would look like. The second point I make is: if Australians see fit to change our Constitution in the way I hope they do, you, alongside every other member and Senator in this parliament, will have a say in how that Voice operates, because it is parliament that will legislate. There will be consultation and there will be legislation—just as you have a right, at the moment, to respond to and deal with legislation that comes before the chamber.