Media Release - Voice to Parliament
5 April 2023
Statement on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament
As the representative of the Hughes Electorate in the Federal Parliament, the collective views of my community are the most important driver of my role in Canberra.
I will shortly be asked to vote on whether a referendum is put to the Australian people.
The Labor Government won the last federal election on 21 May 2022. The (now) Prime Minister Albanese committed to holding a referendum to decide the Indigenous Voice to Parliament during this term.
The question as currently framed by the Albanese Government is problematic.
I have long been a constitutional conservative. Changes to our foundational document should only be done in exceptional circumstances.
Australia is one of the world’s oldest democracies. Unlike most nations, which are now democracies, Australia has been a democracy from the moment we became a nation as a Federation.
The Liberal Party has today announced a credible alternative to that put forward by the Albanese Government. That position is three-fold:
Commitment to supporting the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as Australia’s First People in our constitution.
Commitment to local and regional bodies to deliver better outcomes for Indigenous Australians, particularly in remote communities.
A legislated (rather than constitutionally enshrined) national body developed on a bipartisan basis in advance of the referendum.
These are sensible suggestions. I call upon the Albanese Government to approach the upcoming committee process with an open mind and consider the Liberals’ recommendations.
I attended the Liberal Party Room meeting this morning. It was resolved that backbenchers, including myself, will be given a free vote. This is a core value of the Liberal Party and one that clearly differentiates my party from the Labor Party.
As the representative of the Hughes electorate, I intend to consult widely within my electorate before I finalise my position and vote when we return to Parliament.
ENDS
Media contact: Hughes Electorate Office – (02) 9521 6262 – Jenny.Ware.MP@aph.gov.au