The day that was, Wednesday 22 March
That’s where we will leave the live blog for Wednesday. Here are the major points from today:
The Australian government has promised to establish “a new dedicated executive agency responsible for delivering the optimal pathway for Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine program” and promised to consult First Nations communities over the issue of nuclear waste.
The government and opposition have struck an agreement whereby the Coalition will support the referendum machinery act changes.
The attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, has announced the parliamentary joint committee on human rights will conduct a review of Australia’s human rights framework, including examining whether Australia needs a Human Rights Act.
The voice working group is close to finalising advice to government on the wording of the proposed change to the constitution to be voted on at a referendum later this year. The group is meeting with the PM tonight, ahead of the legislation being introduced into parliament next week.
The government could announce the proposed changes and the question as soon as tomorrow.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has signed a partnership agreement with the visiting prime minister of Samoa, Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa.
New Zealand will allow anti-trans agitator Kellie-Jay Keen to visit after her tour of Australia wraps up. Keen is visiting Canberra on Thursday.
Amy Remeikis will be back with you again tomorrow morning bright and early with all the latest on the last sitting day of this week. Until then, have a good evening.
Updated
Referendum question and constitutional amendment could come tomorrow
Confirmation of the Indigenous voice referendum question and constitutional amendment could come as soon as tomorrow, following a meeting of the referendum working group with the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, tonight.
Multiple sources have told Guardian Australia that there may be news on the crucial outstanding details, including the question and proposed alteration to the constitution, as early as Friday morning. The shift was first reported by the ABC’s Patricia Karvelas late on Wednesday. There will likely need to be a special meeting of the federal cabinet to tick off on the details, which we’ve been told probably won’t happen tonight.
We have contacted the offices of the PM, attorney general Mark Dreyfus, and Indigenous Australians minister Linda Burney for comment.
We have been told there could be a few minor changes to the details outlined by PM Albanese at the Garma festival last year, but there’s unlikely to be any major surprises in the final draft. Of course, that will then go to a parliamentary committee, which will run for six weeks.
Getting news on the details tomorrow would be a change to the schedule, with government sources saying earlier this week that we likely wouldn’t get those details until mid or next week.
Prof Megan Davis, a key member of the working group and co-chair of the Uluru dialogue, earlier said the government and group were “very close” on the details. Before the meeting, she noted one of the group’s “key principles” was the voice advising parliament as well as government.
If you’ve been following our reporting on the voice, you would remember there has been concern from some conservatives and critics about voice talking to government. The working group has long rubbished those concerns, saying it was critical that the voice could advise government.
Davis stressed it was a key feature before the meeting, hinting that it wasn’t up for alteration. She also noted other key design principles, including that the voice’s membership would be chosen by First Nations people in local communities; that it would be representative, community-led, gender balanced; that it would be accountable and transparent; and that it would have no veto or program delivery function.
Updated
