Promise check: Hold a referendum to constitutionally enshrine a Voice to Parliament in the first term

At the 2022 election, Labor promised to hold a referendum to constitutionally enshrine a Voice to Parliament in its first term. Here's how the promise is tracking.

(Image by Penny McLintock, file photo: ABC News)

In May 2017, over 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander delegates met in the Northern Territory community of Mutitjulu to sign a proposal addressed to the Australian people: the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

The statement set out a number of proposed reforms including the "establishment of a First Nations Voice enshrined in the Constitution".

A website run by the Uluru Dialogue based at the Indigenous Law Centre at the University of NSW says the Voice "will be a permanent institution for expressing First Nations' views to the parliament and government on important issues affecting First Nations".

Amending the Australian Constitution is reliant on a successful referendum, requiring the support of a national majority of voters in the states and territories and as well as a majority of voters in at least four of the six states. The votes of people living in the ACT, the NT and any of Australia's external territories count towards the national majority only.

In a document outlining its election commitments to Indigenous Australians, Labor promised: "If elected, we will move quickly on a referendum to enshrine a Voice to Parliament in our Constitution".

The Voice proposal featured heavily in the Labor's election pitch, with then opposition leader Anthony Albanese saying when he launched his campaign that it would be an "uplifting moment of healing and unity for our country".

Anthony Albanese & the Australian Labor Party launch election campaign in Perth | ABC News

Watch Mr Albanese make the promise at Labor's campaign launch in Perth.

Watch video on YouTube

After winning the election on May 21, 2022, Mr Albanese began his victory speech by reiterating Labor's support for delivering on proposals contained in the Statement from the Heart.

Assessing the promise

Labor's commitment was to act on a referendum "quickly".

This promise will be fulfilled if a referendum to constitutionally enshrine a Voice to Parliament is held within Labor’s first term in office.

Here's how the promise is tracking:

19 May 2023

More Promises

Promise check: Increase child care subsidy rates

Before the election, Labor promised to increase child care subsidies for all families earning up to $530,000, as well as extend the increased subsidies to outside school hours care. Here's how the promise is tracking.

Promise check: Legislate 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave

At the 2022 election, Labor promised to legislate 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave. Here's how the promise is tracking.