Advertisement

Dutton denies his questions are undermining the Voice

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says he will not support removing tax breaks for the super wealthy.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says he will not support removing tax breaks for the super wealthy. Photo: AAP

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton denies his repeated questioning about details surrounding the Indigenous Voice to Parliament is undermining the proposal.

As the Greens formally back in their party’s support for the referendum, Mr Dutton said he was seeking further assurances from the government the Voice would improve the situation for Indigenous communities on the ground.

While Mr Dutton said a majority of Australians wanted to see the situation improve for Indigenous people, there was still confusion about the Voice.

“People … want to do the right thing but don’t understand what it is the government’s proposing,” he told ABC Radio on Tuesday.

“What would give people more assurance is if there is a bill that can explain how it’s going to work because there are different models as well.”

Dutton writes to PM over Voice

Mr Dutton said he wanted to find a bipartisan position for public policy on the Voice but hit back at claims he was lowering public confidence on the issue.

“[Bipartisanship] would be the best approach but it’s frustrating when circumstances like we’re seeing in Alice Springs [with its frustration over alcohol-fuelled violence and theft] are brought to the attention of the government and nothing happens for months and months,” he said.

“There are models that people who might be in the sort of undecided column at the moment would cross over to support the Voice if they understood it properly.”

Mr Dutton said he wanted to see legislation in Parliament on what the Voice would look like and how the body would operate.

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney said it was important for the government to work closely with the opposition.

“It’s very important that we involve Peter Dutton and his party as much as possible, and of course, Peter approached the [Voice] working group with an open heart and an open mind a few days ago,” she told ABC Radio.

“The critical role for the Voice is to make sure it provides advice to the parliament across the Parliament.”

The latest Essential poll has found 65 per cent of people support the constitutional change.

While junior Coalition party, the Nationals, have already outlined they will not back the Voice, the Liberals have not put forward a formal stance.

Greens leader Adam Bandt said they would be a united front in backing the Voice, after the party room formally backed it at a meeting on Monday.

The decision follows outspoken senator Lidia Thorpe’s decision to quit the party due to her concerns with the Voice proposal.

The minor party had delayed officially backing the proposal, saying it wanted all aspects of the Uluru Statement from the Heart – including treaty – to be implemented.

“All Greens MPs will be campaigning for the referendum to succeed. It’s going to be an important opportunity for the country to take another step towards First Nations justice,” he told ABC TV on Tuesday.

“It was a consensus decision and there was no dissent to it; we’re all going to be campaigning for it.”

Mr Bandt said the party had been speaking to the government for several months on ensuring all elements of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which includes a treaty, were implemented.

“The Greens’ preference would be to see treaty first. We think that would be important,” he said.

“We want the referendum to succeed, we want First Nations justice and we want truth and treaty as well as Voice.”

– AAP

Stay informed, daily
A FREE subscription to The New Daily arrives every morning and evening.
The New Daily is a trusted source of national news and information and is provided free for all Australians. Read our editorial charter
Copyright © 2024 The New Daily.
All rights reserved.