Josh Burns (Macnamara, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Attorney-General. Why is the proposed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice such an important addition to our Constitution?

Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Macnamara for his question. Today is an historic day. A bill to amend the Constitution has passed the Australian parliament, and this means that, later this year, the Australian people will have their say on whether to recognise the First Peoples of Australia through an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice enshrined in our Constitution.

The referendum will be about two things. First, it's about recognising that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have occupied the Australian continent for more than 60,000 years and represent the oldest continuing living cultures in human history. They've maintained a relationship with Australia's lands, waters and skies since time immemorial. The Australian Constitution has never recognised the unique status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of this country. The time has come to do precisely that.

Second, this referendum is about listening to the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples about the laws and policies that affect them. We know that we must do better to address the unacceptable gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. We must do better to reduce the shockingly high incarceration rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, the poor health outcomes and the lower life expectancy. We know that better policies are made when they are shaped by those most affected. We know because we've seen the evidence.

The words of the proposed amendment to the Constitution are simple and they are powerful. The words of the proposed amendment are the product of a comprehensive process of consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders and the best legal minds in the country, including the Solicitor-General. I thank the Referendum Working Group, the Referendum Engagement Group and the Constitutional Experts Group, and I applaud my colleagues the Minister for Indigenous Australians and Senator Patrick Dodson for their extraordinary work.

The Solicitor-General has stated very clearly that the Voice is 'not just compatible with the system of representative and responsible government prescribed by the Constitution, but an enhancement of that system'. So, the short answer the member's question is that the proposed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice is an important addition to the Constitution because it will make our Constitution better. This referendum can be a unifying moment for our country, and I believe it will be a unifying moment. It's a unique opportunity to address the injustices of the past and to create change that will deliver a better future.