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November 12, 2019

Proposed Indigenous ‘voice’ will be to government rather than to parliament

Two prominent Indigenous Australians, Tom Calma and Marcia Langton, have been appointed to chair a senior advisory group to oversee an extensive process for developing options for an Indigenous “voice to government”.

The process will also develop ways to get more Indigenous input to state and local decisions, especially on the issue of service delivery.

Announcing details, Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt said Indigenous people throughout the country would be able to have their say.

But the government is already under criticism because Scott Morrison has rejected the proposal in the Uluru Statement from the Heart for a voice to parliament to be put into the constitution.

Instead, the government plans to legislate the voice. It is notable that it is calling it a “voice to government” rather than a voice to parliament.

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