On the 15th of September, Senator Jacinta Nampitjinpa Price addressed the National Press Club in Canberra and outlined the “lies” upon which she believes the Yes campaign is based.

One of Senator Price’s arguments was that with 11 Indigenous Federal Parliamentarians, Indigenous Australians already had a voice in government.

“I am one of 11 Indigenous voices currently in parliament and I will not accept the lie, the rationalisation of many Indigenous voices of the Yes campaign who suggest our democratically elected voices are redundant because we belong to political parties,” she said.

“The patronising suggestion that we cannot focus our efforts on improving the lives of marginalised Aboriginal and Torres Strait [sic] Australians because we are simultaneously responsible for constituents of all backgrounds is unambiguously wrong and should be rejected resolutely.

“it is a suggestion that is offensive not only to me but my coalition colleague Senator Kerrynn Liddle, but to all representatives that are of Indigenous heritage in federal parliament.”

If, as Senator Price states, that such a claim is offensive to all federal parliamentarians of Indigenous heritage, then surely the majority – if not all – of them would be in opposition to the Voice.

Yet that does not appear to be the case.

Upper House (Senate)

[YES] Senator Dorinda Cox, Greens (Western Australia): As reported by SBS on the 21st of April, Senator Cox, who replaced now Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe as the Greens’ Indigenous Australians spokesperson, gave her support to the Voice, stating: “I support the full implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which means Truth, Treaty and Voice. I am going to campaign for Yes.”

[YES] Senator Patrick Dodson, Labour (Western Australia): Senator Dodson was appointed Special Envoy for Reconciliation and Implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese following Labor’s electoral victory in 2022.

[IN PRINCIPLE] Senator Jacki Lambie, JLN (Tasmania): Despite being strongly critical of Labor’s work on “selling” a case for the Voice as reported recently in the media, Senator Lambie is reported as supporting the Voice “in principle”.

[NO] Senator Kerrynne Liddle, Liberal (South Australia): The Liberal Party’s only First Nations parliamentarian, Senator Liddle has previously argued that that the Voice would provide indigenous people “extraordinary rights” and that “the scope is far too wide and it gives indigenous people a benefit above and beyond other Australians in the founding document.”

[YES] Senator the Hon. Malarndirri McCarthy, Labor (Northern Territory): As the Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator McCarthy is a strong advocate for the Voice, having stated: “A “Yes” vote at the 2023 referendum is a chance for all of us to take the next step on the journey to reconciliation.”

[NO] Senator Jancinta Nampijinpa Price, Country Liberal Party, (Northern Territory): As the Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator Price is a leading opponent to enshrining a Voice in the Constitution and is leader of the Fair Australia campaign.

[YES] Senator Jana Stewart, Labour (Victoria): A strong advocate of the Voice, Senator Stewart has written: We need a Voice to Parliament so that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Australians will always be included in the policy-making process on matters affecting us.”

[NO] Senator Lidia Thorpe, Independent (Victoria): On the 20th of June, Senator Thorpe announced that she would not be supporting the Voice to Parliament following a breakdown in negotiations with the federal government over implementing recommendations from the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, and the 1997 Bringing them Home report.

[YES] The Hon. Linda Burney MP (Member for Barton): At the very forefront of Labor’s campaign for a Yes vote, Linda Burney is the Minister for Indigenous Australians and along with other key Yes campaigners, such as Thomas Mayo and Professor Marcia Langton, appears to bear the brunt of harsh criticism from certain media outlets and No campaigners.

[YES] Dr Gordon Reid MP, Labor (Member for Robertson): Elected to Parliament in 2022, Dr Reid is a clear supporter of the Voice, being a co-chair (alongside Allegra Spender MP [Ind.] and Bridget Archer MP [Lib.]) of the Parliamentary Friends of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

[YES] Marion Scrymgour MP, Labor (Member for Lingiari): Clearly beyond following party lines, Marion Scrymgour Tweeted way back in January: “If you look at the Uluru Statement from the Heart you will see my signature on it. It’s time that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians had their voices heard on the issues that affect us.”

So the question is…

So the question is: If seven of the 11 Indigenous parliamentarians are in full support of the Voice, how can we rationalise the often touted argument that Australia already has an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament?