The federal Opposition is pressing Labor to spell out race-based guidelines aimed at establishing who will be covered by the Voice.
Opposition Indigenous Australians spokesman Julian Leeser says the Albanese government needs to clarify the definition of Aboriginality as a matter of urgency.
In a letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese earlier this year, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton asked 15 questions of the proposed Voice, including whether the government will confirm the definition of Aboriginality to determine who can serve on the body.
Asked if this question was insulting to Indigenous people, Mr Leeser said there were several definitions, and the government needed to specify which one they would use for the Voice.
“This is a matter for the government to clarify,” he told Sky News on Sunday.
‘How will they be chosen?’
“We’ve asked the government to provide answers to that, as we’ve asked them to provide answers to who’s going to be chosen [and] how will they be chosen?”
Mr Leeser said people, including Indigenous Australians, were asking this question.
The Liberal Party is yet to decide its position on the Voice, while the Nationals are opposing it.
The referendum on the voice will be held in the later half of this year, with the working group on the Indigenous voice finalising its advice to the government.
Legislation is expected to be introduced to parliament by the end of the month and will contain the wording of the question that will be put to the public.
-AAP
