Ken Wyatt Constitutional Recognition

The Minister for Indigenous Australians, Ken Wyatt, was Patricia Karvelas' guest on Afternoon Briefing today. Karvelas asked whether he was planning to take a proposal to the Prime Minister for legislation to establish a Voice for indigenous Australians during this term of parliament. "What I'll be doing is taking forward a series of propositions to do with constitutional recognition, the Voice and truth telling. Each of those are separate pieces of work because they are critical in their own right," Mr Wyatt said. "I'm seriously committed to working through with our people to a solution that they're comfortable with as well."

He wouldn't say when he expected legislation to go forward, saying the plan needed to be signed off by Scott Morrison and the Cabinet first. "What will constitutional change look like under the Morrison government?" Karvelas asked. "We will work through those over the next 12 months," said Mr Wyatt. "It will need to be worked through with our people, and has to be acceptable within a legal framework. What I don't want is a Section 44 being created.

"We have to be pragmatic, and have many non-indigenous Australians who are supportive but are saying, 'I'm concerned until you tell us what the sets of words are because I'm not going to commit to something that creates a division between a nation that is becoming more unified.'

"The number of non-indigenous people who have said, 'We will stand with indigenous Australians, we want to see them recognised, but get the words right.'"

Mr Wyatt said he was "optimistic" that there would be a referendum on constitutional recognition before the next election.