Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament will be held in the next financial year — between July 2023 and July 2024.
More than 60 prominent Indigenous voices gathered for crucial talks with the prime minister on Thursday to discuss the timing, question and education campaign to give First Nations people a constitutionally enshrined say in national affairs.
"We haven't settled on a date," Mr Albanese said in an address to the working group.
"I genuinely haven't. At the end of the day, as the prime minister, that will be a decision that I'll have to advance. But I will be taking advice, including the very strong advice of this group.
"The time frame will be some time in that financial year — that's where the window will be open — from July next year through to the next financial year."
Earlier this week, a Resolve poll found Australia backs constitutional change, with 64 per cent of voters in favour. However, the survey also found many voters were unsure about the "practical benefits" of a Voice to Parliament.
The Referendum Working Group — made up of more than 20 Indigenous representatives and the Referendum Engagement Group, comprising another 40 First Nations representatives — held the meetings at parliament house in Canberra. It was co-chaired by Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney and special envoy for the Uluru Statement Patrick Dodson.
Afterwards, the working group released a set of principles that described the Voice as a body that would provide "independent advice to the parliament and government" but not have "veto power".
Professor Marcia Langton, who co-designed the Indigenous Voice model, attended the meeting and said one of the key discussions was how to combat the lack of understanding on how the Voice would work.
"It's going to take some time to explain to people what I think is pretty straightforward, but most people don't understand the constitution or, indeed, the governmental system," she said.
Professor Langton doesn't think it will be hard to decide on the referendum question.
"The question the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese read out at Garma [Festival] in early August was a very good question to put to the people," she said.
His question simply read: "Do you support an alteration to the constitution that establishes an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice?"
A green referendum
Professor Langton said the Referendum Working Group would look to the COVID-19 vaccine online campaign for lessons on how to reach First Nations Australians on the issue of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
She added that the coming vote would look very different to past referendums, potentially becoming paperless, but also reaching voters in remote communities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
"We can't be causing an environmental disaster by sending mailouts to 13 million households," Professor Langton said.
"Most people throw mail like this straight into the recycling bin. It's not an effective way to communicate in the 21st century.
"We want to rely on digital communications as much as possible."
Treaty, Voice, or both?
The path towards a referendum is not without criticism from some First Nations people, with Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe leading calls for a Treaty to be established before a vote for constitutional recognition.
Talks of treaties between First Nations people and state governments are underway in Victoria and Queensland.
Earlier this month, co-chair of Victoria's Treaty Assembly Geraldine Atkinson said the national debate could look to Victoria as a model.
"Everyone agrees that what we've done here in Victoria is a really good example for what could be done at a national level," Ms Atkinson said.
Professor Langton said work towards constitutional recognition and treaty could be done simultaneously.
"We can chew gum and walk at the same time," she said.
"There is nothing to stop us from campaigning for the Voice and also, in our own jurisdictions, working on the treaty proposals that are well underway."
A mission to educate
One Sydney mayor is on a mission to drum up support for a Yes vote and is calling for 1,000 volunteers to undertake training to contribute to building community awareness about a referendum for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
"We'll be asking some of [the volunteers] to go a step further and get across Sydney and the rest of New South Wales to help spread the word," Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne said of the advocate program.
"Within two days, we've had more than 200 people sign up for our training.
"We'd encourage all councils to hold town hall forums and to undertake civic education programs."
Indigenous voices opposed to the Voice, Treaty, Truth campaign — including Victoria's Ms Thorpe — were not present at Thursday's meetings.
