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Noel Pearson said Indigenous recognition was not a project of “woke identity politics”.Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

The trailblazing activist has pleaded with the Morrison government not to abandon long-held ambitions for a national referendum on the issue,warning as long as Indigenous peoples remain unrecognised then Australia would be “an absurdity”.

But Mr Morrison said it had never been the government’s policy to stage a referendum on the Voice,which it is currently co-designing with Indigenous communities.

“I’ve had numerous meetings myself on this matter and the Minister for Indigenous Australians is progressing that,” Mr Morrison said.

“On the other issue of constitutional recognition,more broadly,then there is still no clear consensus proposal at this stage,which would suggest mainstream support in the Indigenous community or elsewhere.”

He said the government’s refreshed efforts to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous on education,employment and family violence levels would make “a big difference” in the lives of Indigenous Australians across this country.

Indigenous Australians Minister Ken Wyatt has committed the government to legislate a Voice to Parliament,havingreleased an interim report on the co-design process in January this year. The consultative process is planned to run for four months,with a final report expected between June and August this year.

Under the proposal,Federal Parliament would have to consult a national Indigenous Voice on laws relating to race,but the proposed body could not veto laws or overturn government policy decisions under a plan out for consultation.

Three working groups on the issue – taking in 52 members – have met more than 70 times since talks began on the Voice in October 2019.

The government has all but killed off staging a separate vote on constitutional recognition and - despite being a Coalition policy at every election since 2007 - it remains a divisive topic within the party room.

Dean Parkin says “the people are way ahead of the politics” when it comes to Indigenous recognition.Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

Dean Parkin,the director of From The Heart campaign,said their research showed that as of June last year,only 17 per cent would vote no in a referendum on a Voice,with 56 per cent in favour and the remainder undecided.

“We are not naive to the work needed to grow and consolidate that support but ours is a campaign of opportunity and possibility,” Mr Parkin said.

“On this,as with so many other issues,the people are way ahead of the politics.”

Mr Wyatt,who has previously said a referendum on constitutional recognition was “too important to fail”,said in a statement the government was focused on empowering all Indigenous Australians through the co-design process for an Indigenous Voice.

He said that was an “important first step” to define the detail and the government would consider options for the legal form of the Indigenous Voice following the conclusion of the co-design work.

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