Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has arrived in the Torres Strait to discuss his plans for a Voice to parliament with Indigenous elders, after securing the support of the state and territory governments on advancing the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
The PM, Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney and senator Nita Green are expected to arrive on Thursday Island this afternoon and plan to spend two days meeting with community members.
Mr Albanese will hold a roundtable discussion with community groups, including the Torres Strait Regional Authority.
Mr Albanese also plans to reiterate the speech he made at the Garma Festival at the end of July, where he announced the question he intends to put to the Australian public at a referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament and the proposed changes to the constitution.
Ministers meet, back advancement of Uluru Statement
Since the announcement, the government has been pushing ahead with consultation on its Voice plan, with Ms Burney meeting with her state and territory counterparts for the first time since the proposed referendum question was announced on Wednesday.
The states and territories have agreed to back the federal government's plan to advance the Uluru Statement from the Heart, including the Voice to Parliament.
"This reflects a shared desire from all jurisdictions to put progress on recognition and better outcomes for First Nations peoples above politics," a communique from the meeting said.
"The ministers discussed some of the practical steps for implementing Voice arrangements, including at a regional level, that would enable First Nations people to work in partnership with all levels of government to improve policies, programs and service delivery in their regions."
The ministers also spoke about their individual pathways on truth and treaty processes, and how they will work alongside a proposed Makarrata Commission for national truth telling and treaty.
The federal, state and territory ministers will meet again at the end of the month alongside the Coalition of the Peaks to discuss progress on the national agreement on closing the gap.
