Following a sensational about-face by the parliamentary committee on its initial decision to block the former prime minister, Tony Abbott will preside over a public hearing on the Voice referendum.
Mr. Abbott submitted a written statement to the committee, which is heavy on Labor MPs, but asked to show up on Monday for the final day of public hearings.
The former prime minister, who has long been an outspoken supporter of Indigenous concerns, is a well-known backer of the “no” movement and feels that the Labor committee members purposely prevented him from appearing.
My understanding is that after receiving my letter requesting an appearance, the committee reviewed it and the Labor members decided they didn’t want to hear from me in person since they had already seen his written statement, Mr. Abbott told 2GB’s Ben Fordham.
“That’s how I see it; the Coalition MPs welcomed me and the Labor MPs rejected my invitation.
Someone with the level of government expertise that an ex-prime minister possesses should be present to tease out just what this constitutionally enshrined indigenous voice would imply if they are sincere in their attempts to study all the implications of the proposed reform, according to the author.
The committee secretly changed its mind when Mr. Abbott publicly protested the plan, calling it a “scandal” and saying that the government was “frightened” as a result.
Mr. Abbott is scheduled to appear after 1pm, according to a revised timetable for the public hearings on Monday.
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The Nine newspapers were informed by committee chair Nita Green that Mr. Abbott’s opinions were already “well known” and had been included in his written submission.
However, other well-known individuals who had also submitted lengthy submissions will be present at the hearings.
Father Frank Brennan, a Jesuit priest and supporter of Indigenous issues, will make an appearance on Monday in an effort to persuade the committee to approve slight alterations to the proposed constitutional amendment’s language.
The second clause, which specifies who the proposed body would “make representations” to, is where Father Brennan, who supports the Voice to Parliament, is attempting to have the phrase “executive government” removed.
On the other side, Mr. Abbott has strong reservations about the Indigenous-only organization, claiming it would essentially function as a “fourth arm of government.”
This Voice, in my opinion, is a very, very horrible idea. In my opinion, it’s erroneous in theory and might be pretty harmful in practice, said Mr. Abbott.
“What I believe it to mean is that the government will be unable to take any important action without first consulting the Voice.
And what this actually accomplishes is that it creates a fourth branch of government, an indigenous branch that must be consulted on all matters.
Warren Mundine, the former Liberal candidate who is leading the opposition to the Voice, will speak before Mr. Abbott.
After hearing from prominent constitutional scholars and Indigenous leaders throughout the nation over the past two weeks, Monday will be the committee’s final public appearance.
Later in May, the committee is anticipated to provide its report to the legislature.
