Key Points
- The rules governing the Voice referendum are now in place after a bill passed the Senate.
- The federal government has also received the final advice on the wording of the referendum question.
- The input from the referendum working group will be considered by cabinet on Thursday.
Australians are about to find out what question they will be asked in the referendum on an Indigenous Voice to parliament.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney met with the referendum working group, which finalised its advice on the question.
Cabinet is set to review the questions on Thursday morning with the legislation to follow, likely next week.
The opposition agreed to support the bill outlining the mechanics of the referendum after securing amendments, including a physical pamphlet outlining both the "yes" and "no" cases written by MPs.
Mobile polling extended voters in remote communities
The machinery bill passed the Senate on Wednesday after days of debate. It will now head to the government-controlled lower house to be rubber-stamped.
"Passage of the Referendum Machinery Bill paves the way for the Constitutional Alteration Bill," Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, said in a joint statement with Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and Special Envoy for Reconciliation Patrick Dodson.
"Constitutional recognition through Voice should be an issue that is above partisan politics, and we are encouraged by a broad consensus in support of this Bill across the Parliament."
The mobile polling period for remote communities will be extended to 19 days and a greater number of identification methods will be accepted to enrol or update enrolment.
There will be an advertisement blackout for three days before the referendum.
The disclosure threshold for donations to entities will be frozen at $15,200 instead of increasing with inflation.
Working group member Megan Davis says the voice will represent Indigenous communities and be empowering, community-led, inclusive, respectful, culturally informed and gender balanced.
"We are so close to taking the next historic steps towards a successful yes vote," Professor Davis told reporters in Canberra.
"Australia, let's get this done together. Walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better future."
But Indigenous coalition senator Jacinta Price is remaining steadfast against the constitutional changes, saying the voice will just add another layer of bureaucracy and divide Australians along racial lines.
LISTEN TO
PM lays out his vision for the referendum on Indigenous recognition
SBS News
05/02/202305:28
Funding approved for non-partisan information campaign
Organisations for the yes and no campaigns are both set to have tax-deductible status after a body for the latter made an official request.
Labor minister Don Farrell saying it would be treated in the same way as the application for the "yes" campaign organisation, which was granted.
But taxpayer money will only go towards a non-partisan information campaign as opposed to "yes" and "no" advertising.
The Greens and crossbenchers wanted stronger truth in advertising laws to ensure only accurate information was sent out in the pamphlets.
Independent senator David Pocock also wanted social media to be covered in the media blackout in the lead up to the vote.
Both pushes were unsuccessful.
The government also shot down changes that would allow on-the-day enrolments and phone voting provisions for the upcoming referendum.
Greens senator Dorinda Cox expressed disappointment the amendments weren't supported but noted a silver lining of bipartisanship.
The First Nations senator said agreement on how the referendum will be run would help pave the path to success, which would in turn open to door to truth-telling and a First Nations treaty.
"The only way we're going to do that is actually secure a yes vote in the Voice to Parliament," she said.
