Australia introduces Indigenous referendum bill

STORY: Australia took the first formal steps toward a referendum to recognize Indigenous people in its constitution, and set up a so-called 'Voice to Parliament' to advise lawmakers on matters that impact them.

A bill, introduced on Thursday, triggers a nationwide vote later this year on the matter, as the country's Aboriginal people are not acknowledged in its 122-year-old constitution.

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said it would help Australians come together "for a more reconciled future."

"Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have occupied the Australian continent for over 60,000 years and represent the oldest continuous living cultures in human history. Yet Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are not recognised in our Constitution."

"We will all stand with a clean heart and a clean conscience, and we will know our country is on the path to a better direction."

For much of Australia's history, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have been side-lined by colonial rulers.

Although they make up about 3.2% of the country's population, they were not granted voting rights until the 1960s, and consistently track below national averages on most socio-economic measures.

Campaigns to say "yes" to the Voice are underway, its supporters include Thomas Mayo, a signatory to the earlier Uluru statement that called for the committee.

"The symbolic part of the referendum is recognising Indigenous people as the first peoples. But the form of recognition that Indigenous people have proposed is through having a voice because it gives us greater fairness."

But other Aboriginal voices such as Warren Mundine, the former head of the Australian Labor Party, oppose the Voice.

"We've tried this five times in the past and it hasn't worked. So the only thing that really works is treating people equal in the society, helping people who need to be helped in regard to setting up businesses, in regard to making economic prosperity for their people, getting people into schools and into universities and having healthy safe lifestyles. The Voice is not going to fix one iota of the problems that we have in Indigenous affairs."

The main opposition Liberal party says it hasn't reached a decision yet on supporting constitutional amendments.

But its junior coalition partner, the rural-based National Party, says it would oppose them.

A Guardian poll last week found 59% of respondents were in favour of the referendum.