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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is insisting the Solicitor-General is supportive of the federal government's Indigenous Voice to Parliament proposal, while rejecting ongoing demands for his advice to cabinet to be made public.
Key points:
- The opposition has called for the Solicitor-General's advice about the wording of the amendment to be made public
- Critics believe the reference to the Voice advising "executive government" could leave it open to legal challenges
- Mr Albanese says the Solicitor-General supports the change
The federal opposition have been among those calling for transparency, arguing advice from Stephen Donaghue KC about the wording of the proposed constitutional amendment should be revealed.
The concern centres around the explicit reference to the Voice to Parliament advising "executive government", with critics believing that could open the floodgates to legal challenges.
"The Solicitor-General's views are very clear of support for this change, that it's legally sound," Mr Albanese told Sky News.
"And through the process, he will, I'm sure, take the opportunity through the Attorney-General to make that position clear."
Nationals frontbencher and former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce said Mr Albanese had set a precedent for releasing legal advice from the Solicitor-General.
"When he says 'Oh, we don't disclose the advice', – BS," Mr Joyce told Sky News.
"You did in the last instance, which was the multiple ministries of the previous prime minister.
"In fact, you ordered it, you made it an article of faith and a promotion of yourself."
Mr Joyce was referring to the inquiry by the Solicitor-General into former prime minister Scott Morrison's decision to appoint himself to multiple portfolios, without the knowledge of colleagues or any public announcement, during the coronavirus pandemic.
"As Barnaby Joyce knows — I mean, he was a bloke who was deputy prime minister twice," the Mr Albanese responded.
"That was one show that shouldn't have had a sequel, but it did.
"And he knows that while he served, they didn't release [the Solicitor-General's] advice to the cabinet."
PM expects Australian sports stars to support Voice
Mr Albanese said he expected high profile Australians, including sports stars, would start lining up behind the "Yes" campaign in coming weeks and months.
"The football codes — both the NRL and the AFL — but also the Football Federation, or soccer as we more commonly call it here, rugby union, they've all been very supportive of Indigenous recognition for a long period of time," he said.
"I know from speaking to a number of the NRL and AFL players, both past and present, that they will be active in putting their views in support of constitutional recognition.
"And I expect that not just them, but Tennis Australia have been supportive, Cricket Australia, all of the sporting codes, the basketball organisation, Patty Mills has been out there campaigning."
Last year, Mr Albanese enlisted the support of US basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal in calling for constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians.