Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced the wording of the referendum question and draft constitutional amendment for the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
Look back on Thursday's updates and reactions as they unfolded in our blog.
Key events
Live updates
Stay up to date with the latest news and analysis
By Jessica Riga
It's time to bring our live coverage to a close, but thank you for following along with us today!
You can catch up on Thursday's developments below, or download the ABC News app and subscribe to our range of news alerts for the latest news.
Just joining us now? Check out the main wrap below.
Littleproud says release of wording hasn't changed Nationals' position
By Jessica Riga
Nationals leader David Littleproud says the release of the wording ahead of a referendum on an Indigenous Voice to parliament has not changed his party's position.
He says the Voice will add another layer of bureaucracy.
Littleproud says he believes the mention of "Executive Government" in the design principals will give the Voice more power than sitting federal ministers.
"I say to those living in capital cities today just hear our voice, our understanding and experience and lived wisdom of what will shift the dial and close the gap, not what will divide us," he said.
'We want all Australians to hear us, not just in rare moments like this'
By Bridget Judd
Thomas Mayor, one of the signatories of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, says First Nations people want the issue to be above politics.
"We want all Australians to hear us, not just in rare moments like this, but any time decisions are made about us," he says.
"We want you to believe in yourselves, believe in us, walking together, believe we can do better."
'We wanted something to be simple, but something that would be effective'
By Bridget Judd
Geraldine Atkinson, a member of the Referendum Working Group and co-chair of the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, says it's a relief to finally have the proposed final wording of the referendum question.
She says it's important that it speaks to all Australians when they go to vote later this year.
"All of us on the working group were on the same page, we agreed, we knew what we wanted as being part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities, what needed to be asked," she says.
"And we wanted something to be simple but something that would be effective."
Referendum Working Group has been 'forensically looking' at the wording
By Bridget Judd
As political reporter Nour Haydar explained on ABC News a short time ago, the prime minister released a draft question and proposed constitutional amendment at last year's Garma Festival in the NT.
Nour: Since then, the Referendum Working Group - this is an advisory body of First Nations leaders and legal experts - they've been forensically looking at that proposed constitutional amendment and the question. They've been making changes, deliberating whether or not there should be changes to that wording to ensure or to give the referendum the best prospect of success.
They finalised their advice... they passed it on to government, and this morning, cabinet agreed, based on the advice provided by that group, to a final question that will be put to the Australian people.
What date will the Voice referendum be?
By Jessica Riga
Any indication yet about the timing of the referendum? I thought I'd heard June in the press conference, but I think that may have related to when Parliament will vote on the bill.
- Jacqui
Hi Jacqui, thanks for your question.
You're correct, parliament will vote on the wording in June.
While we still do not know the exact date that the referendum will be run, it will be on a Saturday after September, because the prime minister says otherwise it risks clashing with several sporting grand final weekends.
- You might find this piece below from political reporter Jake Evans helpful.
That's it for Dutton's update
By Jessica Riga
To recap:
- Opposition Leader Peter Dutton called for the solicitor-general's advice on the wording of the Voice referendum to be made public
- Dutton said the Liberal Party had not made a decision about whether it would support the Voice
- The opposition leader again said he and his party had asked the government for more detail on the Voice and had not received an adequate response
- Those who have worked on the plan for the Voice, including former minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt, have previously voiced their frustration at the argument there is not enough detail, saying it is "being used as an excuse" not to support the idea.
Dutton elaborates on Indigenous issues
By Jessica Riga
Liberal leader Peter Dutton asked for questions about other topics, but was asked by one journalist how he felt seeing Indigenous women crying during the PM's press conference.
He (again) asks for questions on different topics but eventually replies.
"I've seen Indigenous women crying in the meeting I've gone to and it's heartbreaking to see the situation in Alice Springs, it's heartbreaking to see a young person killed in Darwin.
"I wrote to the PM last year asking for a royal commission into Alice Springs because the level of sexual violence against children is an abomination, it's a national disgrace.
"I want to know that the Voice is going to provide a better outcome for those young people. And if it's not, is there a better way? If it's going to make it more difficult, if it's another layer of bureaucracy, and it make it harder for those women in Indigenous communities to be heard, then we need to understand all of that.
"But we don't know, in terms of what the PM is proposing at the moment, how it will help those kids."
Is Dutton expecting any change from the Nationals on their stance?
By Jessica Riga
For reference, a journalist has asked for clarity when Dutton mentions his "decision," and if he's referencing his role as Liberal Party leader or leader of the Coalition, which includes the Nationals.
"I've been very clear I'm speaking as the leader of the Liberal Party," Dutton says.
"The Nationals have made a decision on that. If there's a change, that's an issue for the National Party. But I don't believe that to be the case.
"I've been clear from day one that it's a Liberal Party process."
Did Dutton ask for the solicitor-general's advice again this morning when he was briefed?
By Jessica Riga
"I'm grateful to the PM that he invited David Littleproud [Nationals leader] and I in just before his press conference just to advise what had been decided upon," Dutton replies.
"I'm not going into detail about the conversation beyond that. It was a respectful conversation as most conversations that I have with the PM are.
"We'll continue that discussion, but I don't comment on private discussions."
Some of Dutton's 15 questions got answered today. Will he revisit them?
By Jessica Riga
"What I'm hoping for is that the prime minister can provide the detail," Dutton replies.
'We just don't know any of that detail'
By Jessica Riga
"If you're putting forward a form of words which is open to broad interpretation by the High Court, then the parliament can't rectify that. That's the issue here," Dutton continues.
"What the government is proposing at the moment is that the Australian public will go to vote on a Saturday, then from the Monday on, for 6 months, there will be consultation on the model.
"That is putting the cart before the horse."
What level of detail would satisfy the opposition?
By Jessica Riga
It's one of the questions that's been put to Peter Dutton.
"I've written to the PM, I've proposed 15 basic questions, pretty common sense questions that Australians are asking and the PM hasn't responded with the detail. Even to this very day," Dutton replies.
Shadow attorney-general says public advice would 'build confidence'
By Jessica Riga
We're hearing from Shadow Attorney-General Julian Leeser now.
He says he's previously written to the solicitor-general asking to release the advice.
"There is a precedent," he says, referencing previous referendums.
"If the government wants to build confidence that they've got the right set of words, they should provide people with the advice the solicitor-general has given."
Here's why Dutton wants that advice made public
By Jessica Riga
"It's important the solicitor-general's advice is released because in the absence of that advice and the absence of detail from the prime minister, how can the Australian public make an informed judgement about a very, very important issue?" Dutton says.
"The prime minister owes it to the Australian public to release that advice."
Dutton calls on solicitor-general's advice on wording to be made public
By Jessica Riga
"There's some question marks around the words that have been proposed," Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says.
"This is now the third set of words that the Prime Minister has put. There is legal ambiguity and doubt around some earlier versions.
"I think it is absolutely essential that the Prime Minister releases the solicitor-general's advice. From what we've read in media reports, the solicitor-general has concerns about these very words.
Whilst there's been some cosmetic tweaking of them, there's not a substantive change."
You can watch a clip of his comments below.
Liberal Party to decide 'in due course' their stance on Voice to Parliament
By Jessica Riga
"We will meet in the Liberal Party party room and we will decide in due course whether we support the voice or oppose it," Peter Dutton says.
"That's the process we've adopted from day one and we will continue with."
Liberal leader Peter Dutton is speaking now
By Jessica Riga
You can follow his press conference live using the link below.
Is it compulsory to vote in referendums?
By Jessica Riga
Will voting in the referendum be compulsory?
- George
Hi George, thanks for writing in.
Short answer is yes, it's compulsory to vote. As the Australian Electoral Commission puts it:
"It is compulsory by law for all eligible Australian citizens aged 18 and older to enrol and vote in referendums and federal elections.
"If you are already enrolled you do not need to enrol again to vote in a referendum."
Just joining us now? Let's get you up to speed
By Jessica Riga
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced the proposed question Australians will be asked at this year's referendum and the draft constitutional amendment that would enable an Indigenous Voice to Parliament
- The question is: "A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this proposed alteration?"
- As well as that, it will be put to Australians that the constitution be amended to include a new chapter titled "Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples"
- Mr Albanese said the government would introduce legislation with the wording to parliament next Thursday and establish a joint parliamentary committee to consider it and receive submissions on the wording
- Parliament will then vote on the wording in June.
You can continue reading this story from political reporter Georgia Hitch using the link below.
