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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
Michelle Slater

Funding for neutral referendum civics program

Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney. Picture by Elesa Kurtz

Voters will be able to access neutral information about the upcoming Voice referendum and the constitution with a new civics program being funded by the federal government.

The Albanese government will provide $1 million to the Constitution Education Fund Australia and another $475,000 to the Museum of Australian Democracy.

MoAD and the CEFA will jointly deliver the grassroots civics program to provide accessible, neutral and easy-to-understand information about the Constitution and referendum processes.

MoAD runs programs from Old Parliament House and through its digital channels, while CEFA is a non-government organisation that teaches about government processes, Constitution and constitutional history.

It comes as Australians will be asked to vote either "yes" or "no " in a referendum to recognise the First Peoples of Australia in the Constitution by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.

The Voice referendum is likely to be held between October and December this year and will be the first referendum for any voter under the age of 42.

The last referendum was held in 1999 to decide if Australia should become a republic and it failed to get up.

Minister for Indigenous Australians Minister Burney said both MoAD and the CEFA were "trusted organisations" that could reach people across the country about the constitution and referendum processes.

"For many Australians, this will be the first referendum they've ever participated in and it's crucial they have the facts to make an informed decision," Ms Burney said.

"Delivering this civics program will ensure all Australians can contribute respectfully and knowledgeably to the national conversation about the referendum before voting day."

The federal government is preparing the next phase of the civics information campaign to be launched next month.

It comes as leading campaigners for and against an Indigenous voice had fronted a parliamentary committee looking into the draft referendum question and constitutional amendments.

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