Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
Politics
Andrew Brown

Plea for unity as voice support wavers

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has called on his federal colleagues for unity in supporting a proposal for an Indigenous voice to parliament.

After polling revealed public support for the voice had dropped, Mr Perrottet reiterated his backing for the proposed advisory body.

"Our government supports the voice, it's very important to bring people together," he told reporters on Tuesday.

"We need to be one united country and we don't need division, we need unity."

The Liberal Party has yet to adopt a formal position but Opposition Leader Peter Dutton continues to call for more details.

"Detail is important, because there are versions of the voice that I think some Australians could support and there are other versions which they wouldn't support," Mr Dutton said.

"I support practical reconciliation, an improvement in the lives of Indigenous Australians. I don't want to see another bureaucracy."

Indigenous leader and "yes" campaigner Noel Pearson has dismissed the call for more detail as a diversion, adding that a referendum failure would permanently harm reconciliation efforts.

Mr Perrottet said while questions raised on the voice were a matter for the federal government, he welcomed consultations with NSW communities.

A survey published in the Nine newspapers revealed 47 per cent of voters backed the plan to enshrine the voice. The figure was down from the 53 per cent who supported the proposal in August and September.

Some 30 per cent said they didn't back the constitutional change, up from 29 per cent in the previous survey.

A growing number of people were undecided, with the cohort swelling from 19 per cent to 23 per cent.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in Darwin on Tuesday that the voice would be subservient to parliament.

"It's not attempting to create anything that's above our existing democratic processes."

Mr Albanese said the issue was one where Australians should be looking for agreement not argument.

"Because this is important for respectful First Nations people for the way that Australians see ourselves and the way that the world sees us."

Labor frontbencher Bill Shorten dismissed concern on support for the voice going backwards.

"The principle in the voice is that you would consult First Nations people about policies affecting them rather than just inflicting them upon them," he said.

"Empowerment works, giving people some say and control in their own lives. That's not a left-wing or a right-wing idea. I just think it's a good idea."

A referendum on enshrining the voice in the constitution will be held later this year.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
From analysis to the latest developments in health, read the most diverse news in one place.
Already a member? Sign in here
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.