Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak to this suspension motion. This week we have wanted to get the Voice referendum legislation through this place. We wanted to do it in a way so that senators across the chamber could have their say. Unfortunately, the Albanese government has dismissed the usual practice for constitutional change in this country—holding a people's convention so that both sides of what is often complex arguments can have their views respectfully aired and then having individual Australian citizens go to the ballot box and quietly make their own determination about whether or not they think that's a good thing to do to our Constitution. Changing our founding document is an incredibly serious thing to do. Truncating the debate outside of this place is the decision of the government. They said they'd be transparent, but on this question they've been anything but. The lack of detail is now beginning to show as the Australian public's mind turns to the referendum question. They are concerned about the lack of detail.