Key Points
- Minister Linda Burney said Australians need to be well-informed ahead of voting on the Voice.
- As well as television and radio commercials, a dedicated website is providing details about the referendum.
- Ms Burney said it would reach audiences of every background.
An information program on the upcoming Voice to Parliament referendum is being launched by the federal government, involving television and radio commercials and translations in a number of languages.
Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney says the program will encourage Australians to get ready for the conversation about recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through establishing a Voice.
"All Australians need to be well-informed with access to a trusted source of information as they consider the proposal to change the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia through a referendum," she said in a statement.
Under the program voters can learn about the proposal through Voice.gov.au ahead of the referendum to be held between October and December this year.
Ms Burney said the "neutral civics information" was one part of the government's broader civics education program to help all Australians answer questions they may have around the proposed change to the Constitution.
In parallel, the Museum of Australian Democracy and Constitution Education Fund Australia is set to deliver a grassroots civics program focusing on general information about the Constitution and referendum processes in the coming months.
The minister said the information program would give Australians everything they need to make an informed decision at the referendum and it would reach audiences of every background.
The information campaign was released as a recent poll suggested support for the 'yes' campaign had dropped into the low-50s
Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie said the government had jeopardised unity by rushing a constitutionally-enshrined representative body instead of focusing on recognition.
"Constitutional recognition and reconciliation, if that was the target question, we'd have a 95 per cent 'yes'," she told Sky News on Sunday.
"Rushing to referendum ... will actually end up dividing our country irrespective of the end result rather than uniting it."
Liberal frontbencher Simon Birmingham said it would be better if the government went back to the drawing board rather than risk the referendum failing.
His comments came after a rift in the 'yes' campaign where a suggestion by former social justice commissioner Mick Gooda that the referendum question removes the provision mentioning executive government if it meant bipartisan support was met with scorn by Noel Pearson.
The Aboriginal activist branded Mr Gooda a "bedwetter" and said it didn't represent the view of the Indigenous community.
What would the Voice look like?
The Voice would be a body advising the government on issues impacting First Nations Australians. It would not have the power to veto laws.
In March, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed details on how the body would function, saying:
- Members will have fixed-term dates to "ensure accountability"
- It will be gender balanced and include youth members
- It will draw on representatives from all states and territories
- It will include representatives from specific remote communities
- But he would not be drawn on whether members would be democratically elected or appointed.
What are the next steps?
A vote in parliament, then a people's vote.
For a referendum to take place, legislation needs to be put through parliament.
Unusually though, the bill does not need to pass the House of Representatives and the Senate. It could theoretically pass the Labor-held House of Representatives twice, meaning it is all but guaranteed to succeed.
A majority of voters, and a majority of voters in most states, are needed to make the Voice a reality.
If that threshold is met, Mr Albanese has said a process with Indigenous communities and the broader public will begin to "settle the Voice design".
Once that happens, it would be taken to parliament, like any other law, for debate and a review.
When are we likely to vote?
A small window.
Mr Albanese has consistently promised to hold the vote by the end of this year.
Referendums are held on a Saturday, meaning there are only a handful of dates on which the vote could occur.
With additional reporting by Finn McHugh.
