David Van (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Many complex issues come before this parliament. With all of them I am open-minded and ambitious but also pragmatic. Take Labor's 43 per cent emissions reduction target. I'm supportive of the ambition. Possibly I'm even more ambitious than they are. However, I'm very sceptical of their plan to get there. You see, the devil is in the detail, and, if the details are not properly declared and considered, serious unintended consequences can occur.

I take that same approach to Labor looking to enshrine a voice to parliament. In asking Australians to make a decision to change the Constitution, it is only right to ensure that Australians are given details of the changes and that their consequences are assessed. Most will find the notion the PM put up yesterday romantic in its simplicity. However, constitutional law is neither simple nor romantic. If the Prime Minister wants to be successful, he has to bring all Australians with him. He has to provide a plan. He has to consult. He has to let parliament inquire in it and report back to our citizens so their decision is informed.

It is an unreasonable expectation to simply hold a referendum to ask Australians to give the government a blank cheque so that they can then go and make constitutional changes as they see fit. As the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. While Labor's intentions may be good, without adequate consideration of the details, we may very well be signing Australians up for something which they do not want and which may make their lives worse.

As my good friend Senator Nampijinpa Price rightly pointed out in her first speech, there are very real problems currently affecting the lives of people in Indigenous communities, and they are what we should be fixing right now.