The Indigenous Voice to Parliament may fall over before Australians ever get a chance to vote on the group, Chris O’Keefe has warned. 

The proposal would see an advisory group with the goal of informing parliament on matters of significance to Indigenous people enshrined in the constitution.

But the bill first needs to pass parliament for a referendum on changing the constitution to be triggered, Chris explained.

“A bill needs to get through the House of Representatives and Senate, go to the Governor-General for royal assent and then the government has six months to hold the referendum.

“The hold-up for the Labor government is the Senate.”

Liberal senator Andrew Bragg wants to see a parliamentary inquiry to test the legalities of The Voice and to make sure it won’t have unintended consequences in the High Court.

“So you can scratch Bragg. So where does that leave Albo?

“Does he have the numbers to get this bill through the Senate, so he can hold the referendum?”

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