Canberra, 30/3: The Australian government on Thursday took the first formal step towards holding a referendum to recognise Indigenous people in the constitution and set up an Indigenous “Voice to Parliament” to advise lawmakers on matters that impact their lives.
Introducing the bill in parliament, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the referendum, to be held between October and December, would be an opportunity to acknowledge history and help Australians come together “for a more reconciled future.”
“We will all stand with a clean heart and a clean conscience and we will know our country is on the path to a better direction,” Dreyfus said.
Australians will be asked if they want to change the constitution to create an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice – a consultative committee providing non-binding advice to parliament on matters that affect them