On Wednesday 16 November 2022, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Special Envoy for Reconciliation and the Implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, the Attorney General, and the Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians met with the Referendum Working Group (the Working Group) in Sydney.
The Working Group had presentations from non-government organisations about the work they’re doing to garner support for a successful referendum on an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament.
Members of the Working Group discussed their role and what information would be helpful for the Referendum Engagement Group to broaden understanding and awareness of the upcoming referendum and the Constitution given that it has been almost a quarter of a century since the last Referendum.
The Working Group heard updates on the steps taken towards referendum, particularly the proposed changes to the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act to modernise the referendum process to be in line with the Commonwealth Electoral Act.
The Working Group also received an update regarding the Constitutional Expert Group meeting held on Monday 14 November 2022 and co-chaired by the Attorney-General and the Special Envoy.
The Working Group discussed the process for implementing the Voice in addition to information required for the Referendum, and considered progress in the States and Territories towards implementing the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
The Working Group agreed to reconvene in December to coincide with the second meeting of the Referendum Engagement Group.