Release of Indigenous Voice to Parliament Paper

There is a strong case for constitutionally enshrining an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, but we must ensure that any change is safe for our system of government. Legitimate concerns have been raised, particularly the risk of a transfer of power from Parliament and the Executive to the High Court. To address these concerns, a new paper sets out the remaining issues which I hope will encourage a proper inquiry into the proposed Voice amendment.

A copy of the paper can be found at https://www.andrewbragg.com/five- reasons. Indigenous people are the only group of people in Australia who face a slew of “race” based laws. It is illiberal that Parliament makes these laws without engaging Indigenous people. The Voice will empower Indigenous communities to work collaboratively with government to make their own decisions. Giving these communities a Voice should drive community-level decision making ensuring that people are not locked into poor, paternalistic policies.

A parliamentary inquiry remains the best mechanism for resolving these issues, it can assess legal concerns and ensure that the Voice is safe for our system of government. The inquiry should commence before the constitutional amendment bill is presented. This is the best way to maximise crucial bipartisanship.

**[Ends]** **Media Contact:** **David Nouri** **0401 392 624** ‍