Bill Shorten calls for finalising of referendum

Bill Shorten has called for the immediate establishment of a joint parliamentary select committee to finalise a referendum question on enshrining an Indigenous voice in the federal parliament.

The opposition leader wrote to Malcolm Turnbull proposing the bipartisan parliamentary process on the eve of the annual Garma festival in north-east Arnhem Land, and said the body could also “clarify” other proposals put forward by the constitutional dialogues this year.

Turnbull and Shorten are expected to attend, as well as Indigenous leaders and professionals including Galarrwuy Yunupingu, Noel Pearson, Megan Davis and

Marcia Langton to discuss Indigenous affairs.

The theme of this year’s Garma is Makarata – the Yolngu word for coming together after a struggle – and much of the four-day forum is devoted to discussions around constitutional reform, following the recommendations by the Referendum Council earlier this month to establish an Indigenous parliamentary voice.

In his letter, Shorten cemented Labor’s support for the council’s proposal, which he said “clearly reflects the legitimate, long-held aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for a greater say in the issues that affect their lives”.

“As the nation’s political leaders, we have a duty to our First Nations to do all that we can to give meaning to their aspirations,” he said.

Shorten said the best chance of success for any constitutional recognition of Indigenous people was to ensure their active engagement in the process.

“To that end, I propose we establish a bipartisan, parliamentary process for working through the necessary detail so that a question can be finalised and that the other proposals that came from Uluru, a Makarata commission and a truth telling process, can be clarified and advanced.”

He suggested the committee consult with Indigenous representatives and work with constitutional experts to develop a referendum question and advise the parliament on a timeline for a referendum and other issues, reporting back by the end of the year.