Pamphlets released today laying out the Yes and No cases for the Voice to parliament will pit an argument for recognition, listening and better results against concerns the change is legally risky, divisive and has unknown consequences.
The long-awaited publication of each side’s official arguments ahead of the referendum gives Australians the clearest understanding yet of what they’ll be voting on later this year.
Both arguments will be published online today by the Australian Electoral Commission before beginning to land in letterboxes across the country.
The Yes case argues the Voice is about recognition, listening and better results for Indigenous Australians.
“It’s a change only you can make happen,” the pamphlet will tell voters.
But the No side says the proposal is legally risky, divisive and has unknown consequences.
“If you don’t know, vote no,” it argues.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Labor Party have urged Australians to support the Voice, but it has been opposed by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and the Coalition.
The latest Newspoll shows support for the Voice has slid five points since May with just 41 per cent of voters saying they’ll vote Yes and 48 per cent intending to say No.
Albanese believes the pamphlets will help turn things around, arguing most Australians won’t start paying attention until closer to the date of the referendum, which is widely expected in October.
“The Yes case is very strong. It’s clear,” he told Sky News on Monday.
“And when people focus on the words that are actually in the referendum, change and what the question will be about, which is about recognition and about listening in order to get better outcomes for Indigenous Australians, I’m confident that a majority of Australians in a majority of states will vote Yes when it comes to the referendum [in the] last quarter of this year.”
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But Opposition Indigenous Affairs spokesperson Jacinta Price and Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor urged people to vote no.
“This is a permanent change to our rulebook, the Constitution,” Taylor said.
“It’s a proposal that’s very uncertain.”
Electoral commissioner Tom Rogers said each case would be published in separate, unedited, and unformatted documents, exactly as they have been received.
The Yes/No pamphlet will be distributed to all Australian households in a pack that will also contain the referendum question as well as official information.
The question for the referendum will be:
“A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.
“Do you approve this proposed alteration?”
It would be a national group of about 20 members who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
This body would be a balanced mix of genders, and include a Youth and Disability Advisory Group.
The AEC does not “fact-check” the information provided by the Yes and No camps and has issued advice reminding voters to be wary of misleading and untruthful claims as referendum laws do not require or regulate truth in communication or advertising.
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