An eminent constitutional expert has called on the government to placate concerns of moderate Liberals in favour of the Voice as major divisions emerge between leaders in the referendum process.
The Joint Select Committee on the Voice met for its first public hearings on Friday where concerns over Labor’s proposed second clause – which provides for the Voice to “make representations” to executive government – was fiercely debated.
Father Frank Brennan argues the term"executive government" should be removed from the proposed constitutional amendment. Picture: Sky News Australia“The politics of it is still fairly entrenched, but it’s only been the first day of the committee and I would hope that the political question will be both for the government members and the Aboriginal members, why die in a ditch on keeping executive government rather than just ministers and parliament.
Father Brennan said given there were assurances the term executive government “actually means nothing”, then the government should just replace it. “What you want is wording which is sufficiently precise which can bring the Andrew Braggs, the Julian Leesers of this world on board so we’ve got more chance of getting to a solid yes – that’s what the real work of this committee has to be about.”
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