Indigenous Voice In Parliament

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (15:05): Will the minister be bringing forth this year legislation for a state voice to parliament? What will the processes be for a state Voice to Parliament and what consultation is anticipated for that process?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Attorney-General, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:05): I thank the honourable member for her question. It is a very important question for South Australia, because as the federal Labor opposition has committed to a constitutionally enshrined voice in parliament for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people so too had the opposition and now Labor government in South Australia committed to implementing in South Australia.

There will be wide consultation with Aboriginal people about the form that will take before legislation is presented to parliament. I hope that we will have legislation by the end of this year, but I don't want to truncate a consultation process to meet a deadline for this parliament, but this is an absolute priority of this government. But in recognising that it is something that we would like to do soon, we recognise the overriding consideration is full consultation with Aboriginal Australians, South Australians.