Indigenous voice critic points to ‘better’ alternative

Paul Osborne |

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price will address the National Press Club on the Indigenous voice.
Jacinta Nampijinpa Price will address the National Press Club on the Indigenous voice.

The campaign against an Indigenous voice will be seeking a boost with a keynote speech by an influential senator.

Opposition Indigenous Australians spokeswoman Jacinta Nampijinpa Price is expected to use her National Press Club address to outline an alternative approach to the voice being enshrined in the constitution.

Senator Price, a former deputy mayor of Alice Springs, is advocating recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the constitution and legislated local and regional voices.

She argues putting an advisory body in the constitution gives three per cent of the population an “extra say” on matters affecting all Australians, negating equality of citizenship.

And the $33 billion spent on programs to close the Indigenous wellbeing gap should be audited to ensure it is getting the biggest benefit, she says.

The Northern Territory senator has been travelling the country talking to community groups, including traditional owners.

The speech comes as federal parliament holds its final sitting before the October 14 referendum.

A bitter debate has raged in parliament in recent days over claims the ‘no’ campaign is using racism to sway voters.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers accused Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, who opposes the voice referendum, of seeking to “drip more poison into the well” in order to get a political dividend.

Mr Dutton told parliament the prime minister’s voice campaign was “dividing families and our nation”.

Indigenous leader Marcia Langton has called on Mr Dutton to remove a social media image claiming she branded ‘no’ voters racist and stupid.

The image of Professor Langton standing next to the prime minister includes the words “No Voters Branded ‘Racist, Stupid’ By Prominent Voice Campaigner Marcia Langton” below the logo of The Australian newspaper.

Prof Langton said she would call in lawyers to request Mr Dutton remove the Instagram post, accusing him of taking comments she made at a West Australian forum on the referendum out of context.

AAP