Ed,

Can someone in authority please advise me through your well-read letters’ column where I can seriously find a detailed written explanation describing the full legal mechanism and workings of “The Voice” on which we will have to vote by means of a Referendum later this year.

As a retired foreign correspondent and journalist, I have recently spent some considerable time researching this highly important question regarding the future of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations and our Constitution.

Nowhere have I been able to discover such a document which I would have thought would be available to all and sundry through at least our public libraries, responsible media outlets and other normal sources of national information.

We have been told of the existence of an original 300-page memorandum reportedly provided to Government, but I have failed to locate it’s whereabouts or contents.

The only official document of possible importance which I have so far managed to unearth has been the Australian Government’s Parliamentary Digest No. 80 which describes “The Voice” proposition as a means to amend our national Constitution to recognise the voices of all Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders and as the First Peoples of our country.

The digest simply claims that, if “The Voice” is accepted by a

Majority of Australian voters, it will enable representations to be made to the Australian Parliament and the Executive in ‘matters relating to Aboriginal and TSI people and to give Parliament the power to pass legislation with regard to matters related to “The Voice.”’

As far as I can see, there is no definition or detail as to just

what “matters” will be pertinent or allowable to “The Voice.”

We are continually being told that the “matters” will be the 

Concerns of the Aboriginal and TSI people but literally all our concerns of State are applicable to everyone living in this country, be they of financial, defence, education, medical or social etc importance.

My particular interest is in finding official references to such “matters,” for instance, as a future treaty with three per cent of our population and the payment of special land rents, as declared by “The Voice’s” Mr Tom Mayo who stood beside our Prime Minister in announcing his initiatives.

In spite of the great clouds of hot political air that have been

expended over “The Voice,” we still need the Government to spell out exactly how “The Voice” will work in straight practical terms, what it’s legal and bureaucratic parameters are and to what extent Parliament has to abide by any “advice” or “recommendations” put forward by “The Voice.”

As things stand at present, the real details about “The Voice” and its internal workings will be decided by Parliament by means of Parliament’s normal legislative processes but only AFTER our Referendum vote has been held.

In other words, “The Voice” is envisaged by the Government as being a flexible body set in stone in the Constitution but with free reign to evolve over time and with no future Australian Government being able to unseat it.

The biggest question of all in relation to the Referendum is, of

course, how future Parliamentary actions created by “The Voice” will be progressed and whether it’s promised ‘No Veto’ aspect can at any time be challenged through our courts of law.

May I add that this letter is not intended in any way to be critical of our Aboriginal and TSI people. Rather, it is a plea to our present Government to explain in detail how it envisages the advice and recommendations tendered by “The Voice” will be processed and advanced with suitable anticipated outcomes.

My particular concern is that “The Voice” could become a talk fest for the expenditure of monies rather than a determined effort to assist disadvantaged people through channels that Government dollar and cents’ grants cannot supply.

When I go to cast my vote at the forthcoming referendum, I would like to be in possession of concise to-the-point information from an official document similar to when I bought a new property yet to be built.

On that occasion, I required a detailed plan of the property, a

Precise description of construction, and just what the promised property would provide. I have always needed to be sold something more tangible than an idea.

As far as “The Voice” is concerned, I sincerely hope that all truly disadvantaged Australians can in time become equal partners of our lucky country.

Oscar Tamsen, Yamba