PM announces Voice referendum "between late September and December"

Maeve Bannister (AAP) Published February 21, 2023 at 10.25am (AWST)

A referendum on an Indigenous voice to parliament will be held between October and December, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says.

The prime minister is visiting Western Australia this week with his cabinet as the "yes" campaign for the voice kicked off a week of action to start drumming up support.

Mr Albanese told a local radio station the referendum would be held "sometime between late September and December". But he confirmed it would not be on AFL grand final day, which is the last Saturday in September.

October has a lot of resonance, being the month that Uluru was returned to traditional owners in 1985 and that the Racial Discrimination Act took effect in 1975.

In a separate interview, the prime minister told ABC Radio he was very hopeful the referendum would result in a "yes" vote for Indigenous recognition in the constitution.

"I'm really heartened by the week of action starting this week, there's activity right around the regions, right around the nation," he said.

"It will be important to give respect to Aboriginal Australians but also for us to acknowledge the great privilege we have of sharing this continent with them."

The prime minister said a successful referendum would change the way Australia was perceived globally and show the nation was mature and had "come to terms" with its history.

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney is expected to introduce legislation required for the vote to parliament in March.

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National Indigenous Times

Disclaimer: This function is AI-generated and therefore may mispronounce.