Albo defends amount of time spent on Yes campaign: ‘We can walk and chew gum’
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended the government’s focus on the voice referendum as Australians struggle at the checkout and the bowser.
Mr Albanese says his government is “doing the lot” when it comes to the economy, environment and cost of living.
“But we also think after 122 years, the simple proposition that we recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia’s first people in our nation’s founding document is a very modest request,” he told Triple M radio station on Wednesday.
“When we talk about budgets, there’s been a whole lot of money put into Indigenous affairs, it clearly hasn’t been effective, the system hasn’t worked up to now and so that’s why we need to do better.”
It comes as Australian legend Cathy Freeman has thrown her voice before a successful referendum in a new ‘yes’ campaign ad.
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Deputy Liberal Leader Sussan Ley said Ms Freeman would always remain an icon but she didn’t agree with her position despite wanting to see her in parliament.
“As I said many times, it’s okay to vote ‘yes’ and it’s okay to vote ‘no’,” she told Sky News on Wednesday.
“What’s not okay is the type of disrespect and abuse that people experienced only a day or so ago in Adelaide and the yelling at members of the ‘no’ campaign.”
She branded the constitutional change as “unknown and permanent”.
Australians will head to the polls on October 14 and will be asked whether they want to recognise Indigenous people in the constitution by enshrining an advisory body that can make representations to the government and parliament.
