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AAP
AAP
Politics
Dominic Giannini

Why Indigenous voice matters for everyone

The minister for Indigenous Australians has outlined the benefits of an Indigenous voice referendum. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

Regardless of whether you descended from British convicts, migrants or refugees, your vote on an Indigenous voice to parliament matters.

That's the message from Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney ahead of a national referendum.

"We all want to see Australia be the best place in the world to live," she said.

The minister said the "yes" campaign needed to ensure communities were educated about the proposed changes ahead of the vote.

"There are many Australians that have never voted in a referendum and there are many Australians that do not know what our constitution is," she said.

Ms Burney said the voice - which would establish an advisory body to parliament for laws affecting Indigenous Australians - would help correct past wrongs.

It would not hold any veto powers over legislation.

Ms Burney said respect and consultation with Indigenous communities would lead to better outcomes.

It would also correct the legacy of "unfairness and discrimination".

"Despite inhabiting this land for more than 60,000 years, we have no place in the constitution," she said in pre-prepared remarks to an Indigenous advocacy dinner in Canberra.

Mark Dreyfus expressed concerns about overseas funding for the Indigenous voice campaigns. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

"It's like we never existed. Never mattered. Never counted.

"In 1967 we were counted (in the constitution), today we seek to be heard."

But people campaigning for an Indigenous voice to parliament still don't know whether they'll get public funding, while they probably won't be allowed to secure financial backing from overseas.

The Albanese government has promised to hold a referendum on the Indigenous voice within the next three years.

But no decision has been made about whether both sides of the debate will receive government money.

"We are working really hard and there's deliberations now within government as to what the arrangement should be," Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus told the National Press Club on Wednesday.

Mr Dreyfus said any money coming from overseas would be concerning.

"I can't think of a reason why there should be overseas funding permitted or campaigning in this referendum," he said.

The "yes" campaign was given a slight boost this week after Greens senator Lidia Thorpe confirmed she would not campaign against the voice.

The Indigenous senator has previously branded the referendum a "waste of money" and argued constitutional change was not needed to secure a treaty with First Nations people.

"Now is the time to have some ambition and make a tangible difference in the lives of First Nations people. Let's get it done," she posted to Twitter.

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