Anthony Albanese hits back at critics of the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament
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Anthony Albanese Responds to Critics of Indigenous Voice Proposal to Parliament
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has attacked critics of the proposed Indigenous Voice in parliament, accusing some of being ‘disingenuous’ in their opposition.
Albanese says he wants to “seek national unity” ahead of the Voice referendum later this year, responding to criticism that the Labor government is not publishing enough details about the proposal.
“It’s a simple proposition, that we recognize Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders in our constitution and that they have a voice, that they are consulted, I think it’s good manners,” he told ABC TV’s 7:30 show.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has lashed out at allegations that his government has not provided sufficient details about the Voice to parliament ahead of this year’s referendum. Image: NCA NewsWire / POOL
“But it’s also very clear that the reason some of the debate is bogus right now about the details is that it misses the main point.”
The prime minister referred to opposition leader Peter Dutton as a politician seeking “the divide” after he published an open letter to Mr Albanese at the weekend with 15 questions he needed answered before the Australians flocked. to the polls
“It is obvious that the Prime Minister made a political decision based on the advice of his strategists not to provide the details to the Australian public,” Dutton said in the letter.
“By doing that, I really think he’s treating people like mugs.”
The opposition leader then went on to say that Mr Albanese was ‘setting up the Voice for failure’ by ‘starving the Australian people’ of his details.
Albanese responded on Monday, saying he wants national unity on the issue.
“I’ve made that very clear and that’s why I met Peter Dutton on a number of occasions, and that’s why I was disappointed to pick up the newspaper and read that he had apparently written to me but actually forgot to write.” for me, he just gave it to the newspapers, which is the first time I’ve heard about this correspondence,’ he said.
“To me, that’s not fair dinkum, if you’re fair dinkum, sit down, solve the problems, make a constructive proposal.”
Albanese also responded to the accusation that there is not enough information in Voice, saying that there was “an enormous amount of detail.”
The model will follow one outlined in a 2021 report by Marcia Langton and Tom Calma that former Australian Indigenous Minister Ken Wyatt previously brought to the former Coalition Cabinet.