CANBERRA (XINHUA) – The proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament of Australia would enhance the nation’s system of government, the country’s top lawyer said.
The federal government yesterday released the legal advice of Solicitor-General Stephen Donaghue on its proposed model for the Voice. Australians are expected to head to the polls in the second half of 2023 to vote on whether the Voice should be established in the nation’s constitution.
If the referendum is successful, the new body could have the power to make representations to the Parliament and the Executive Government on issues relating to Indigenous Australians.
In his 24-page opinion, Donaghue dismissed concerns that the Voice would act as a “third chamber” of Parliament.
“The proposed amendment is not only compatible with the system of representative and responsible government established under the constitution, but it enhances that system,” he wrote.
Donaghue rejected claims and suggestions that inserting the phrase “executive government” could trigger a wave of legal challenges.
He said it would not impose any obligations upon the executive government to follow representations of the Voice, or to consult with the Voice prior to developing any policy or making any decision.
