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The prime minister has criticised the opposition's proposal for a second referendum as "sabotage", saying it ignores what Indigenous people have asked for.
Key points:
- Australians will vote on October 14 on a constitutional change to create an Indigenous advisory body known as a "Voice"
- Peter Dutton proposed a second referendum on a constitutional acknowledgement of Indigenous history
- The PM said Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have asked for a Voice, not "just recognition"
It's been called "idiotic", "absurd" and unnecessary – but Opposition Leader Peter Dutton insists a second referendum on Indigenous recognition would be a success.
Australians will go to a national vote on October 14 to decide whether to change the constitution to create a new Indigenous advisory body known as a "Voice".
If that referendum fails Mr Dutton says that he would support calling another vote to acknowledge Australia’s Indigenous history.
Shane Phillips, an Aboriginal community leader in Redfern, said he was "baffled" by the opposition leader's call for a new referendum.
"Do you think what Dutton's going to put together is going to be any better than what we as a people have designed for ourselves?"
"After we've gone through all of this — a Voice to design our own future — it doesn't make sense to anyone."
Anthony Albanese said that is not what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have called for.
"They're already planning the sequel while doing everything they can to sabotage the original."
Mr Dutton is campaigning against the Voice to Parliament referendum, arguing it is divisive and lacks detail.
But he said he does support inserting a simple acknowledgement of recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people into the constitution.
"I think it's the right and the respectful thing to do to simply acknowledge our history and I think is the right thing to do for Indigenous Australians," Mr Dutton said.
Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie called Mr Dutton’s comments "bizarre".
"Absolutely idiotic … it has no detail," she told Sky News.
"They had nine years – nine years between them the Liberal and National parties – and they’ve done absolutely nothing [on Indigenous recognition] and you want to trust Peter Dutton to do this? Please, Australians."
The idea to acknowledge Indigenous history in the constitution has a long history going back decades and has been at the centre of multiple consultations with First Nations people.
In 2015, the then-prime minister Tony Abbott invited 40 Indigenous leaders to a major summit on constitutional recognition in Sydney.
One idea debated then was inserting a new set of words in the constitution to recognise Australia was first occupied by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
But many Indigenous leaders at that meeting said simply acknowledging Indigenous history was not practical or transformative enough.
An "acknowledgement" was also rejected at the Uluru constitutional convention in 2017 in favour of a push to change the constitution to create a new advisory body.
'They're not listening'
Yes advocate Thomas Mayo, a Kaurareg Aboriginal and Kalkalgal, Erubamle Torres Strait Islander man, said any debate about another referendum was a distraction.
"The confusion from the No campaign indicates that we need a Voice," he said.
"They're not listening to Indigenous people. Indigenous people have invited Australians to recognise us through a Voice to get better outcomes for our communities."
Mr Albanese said the upcoming referendum honoured the wishes of Indigenous people who want a say in the laws and policies affecting their communities.
"Their second referendum, though, won't be on what Indigenous people have asked for, just recognition not a voice."
But South Australian Liberal senator Kerrynne Liddle said she believes a vote on a recognition statement in the constitution would draw broad support.
"I've seen constitutional recognition in the South Australian example, and it talks about connection to culture, connection to language, the kind of thing that gives real soul to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander occupation of this land."
Ms Liddle, an Arrernte woman, became the first female Indigenous parliamentarian at state or federal level from South Australia.
"As an Indigenous Australian myself, it represents me better and I'd like to see that in perpetuity in our founding document," she said.
Mr Dutton’s push would require another referendum, potentially at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars, but he also called on the government to change the question of the October referendum.
The ABC understands that is not possible at this stage given the current question on the Voice to Parliament has been written into legislation.
Anne Twomey, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Sydney, said shifting the focus of the referendum was not feasible.
"The idea of popping into parliament and saying, 'Right, we can turn this into a recognition constitutional referendum and hold it on the 14th of October,' is ranging from naive to basically impossible."