Minister for Indigenous Australians
The Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Attorney General and the Special Envoy for Reconciliation and the Implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart met with the Referendum Working Group at Parliament House in Canberra.
The Working Group also met with the Foreign Minister, representing the Prime Minister.
The Working Group received an update on recent developments, including on the progress of the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Amendment Bill 2022.
The Working Group progressed its discussions about the wording of the change to the Constitution and the question on the ballot paper. The Working Group will reconvene next week for further discussion.
The Government will introduce the Constitution Alteration Bill to Parliament in the last sitting fortnight in March 2023. This will be followed by a parliamentary inquiry. The Working Group noted that this would provide Australians, including First Nations people, with the opportunity to make formal submissions.
The Working Group met with the Leader of the Greens, Adam Bandt MP, and with the Greens First Nations spokesperson, Senator Dorinda Cox. The Working Group outlined the path forward to implementing all elements of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
