Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

This referendum is about recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution as the first peoples of Australia, after more than 120 years of exclusion and omission.

This referendum is also about establishing the Voice to make representations to the parliament and the executive government on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Proposed section 129 of the Constitution would contain four simple lines. It would finally recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as Australia's first peoples in our founding legal document. It would guarantee the existence of the Voice. It would guarantee the Voice's core representation-making function. It would also confer upon the parliament a broad power to make laws on matters relating to the Voice.