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Dutton backtracks on second referendum
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has pushed back on a call to hold a referendum to recognise Indigenous Australians in the constitution, saying the plan would only work if it had bi-partisan support in Parliament.
Mr Dutton had previously said he would like a referendum to recognise Indigenous Australians in an interview with The Australian newspaper on Saturday, but on Sunday it appeared he had changed his mind.
“There will be no referendum until there’s a position of bipartisanship, and clearly there’s no bipartisanship on this issue,” he said, when asked about recognising Indigenous Australians in the constitution.
“So there will be no referendum over the course of the next term of parliament, as the prime minister’s made that very clear.”
Mr Dutton said he preferred to focus on making practical improvements to First Nations peoples’ lives, including the reduction of crime in places like Alice Springs.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accused Mr Dutton of vowing to “hold a referendum on Indigenous recognition and then walking away from it”.
