The solicitor-general’s advice on the Indigenous Voice to parliament shows “unequivocal” support, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has been calling for the full advice from the nation’s second law officer to be made public.
Speaking in Sydney today, Albanese said no government ever released that advice to cabinet.
But he read out some of the solicitor-general’s findings on the proposal for the Voice.
“He said this: ‘The proposed amendment is not only compatible with the system of representative and responsible government established under the Constitution, but it enhances the system’,” Albanese said.
“He goes on to say the Voice will not form part of either the parliament or the executive government, instead operating as an adviser body to those two branches of government.”
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Albanese said Solicitor-General Stephen Donaghue KC, whose job in part is to provide legal counsel to the Commonwealth, also found the Voice as proposed would have no power of veto and would not impose any obligation on parliament.
The prime minister claimed this “put to bed” claims to the contrary.
“This is simply a matter of recognising Indigenous Australians in our Constitution and allowing for them to make representations on matters that affect them,” he said.
“In order to close the gap on education, health, housing, incarceration rates, life expectancy, on all the issues in which there is a gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.”
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