Summary

Edit

The majority voted in favour of a motion to agree with the bill. This means that the House will now stop considering the bill in detail and instead consider whether to pass it in its current form.

The Liberal Party and Liberal National Party were split on this bill, with MPs voting both ways.

What does this bill do?

Note that this bill does not create the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice (known as 'the Voice') and nor does it amend the Constitution at all. Instead, it allows the Government to put these matters to the Australian people through a referendum.

According to the bills digest summary:

  • recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia

  • establish an advisory body known as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice (the Voice)

  • provide that the Voice may make representations to Parliament and the Executive on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and

  • give Parliament the power to pass legislation with respect to matters related to the Voice.

  • The Bill, as a proposed law to alter the Constitution, must not only be passed by Parliament but must also then be voted on by the electors of Australia at a referendum.
  • There is a long history of advocacy and support for recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within Australia’s Constitution. This Bill responds to the invitation extended in the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

Some of the key issues addressed in the bills digest include whether:

  • the Voice will be required to be representative
  • sufficient detail on the operation of the Voice has been provided
  • the ability for the Voice to make representations to the Executive Government will result in legal challenges
  • the Voice would create special rights or be discriminatory
  • the creation of the Voice could affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sovereignty
  • the Voice will produce practical results to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
  • the relationship between the Voice and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

Votes Passed by a modest majority

There were 8 rebellions in this division.

  • Angie Bell voted Yes against the majority of the Liberal National Party.
  • Scott Buchholz voted No against the majority of the Liberal Party.
  • Ian Goodenough voted No against the majority of the Liberal Party.
  • Alex Hawke voted No against the majority of the Liberal Party.
  • Luke Howarth voted No against the majority of the Liberal Party.
  • Tony Pasin voted No against the majority of the Liberal Party.
  • Phillip Thompson voted Yes against the majority of the Liberal National Party.
  • Rick Wilson voted No against the majority of the Liberal Party.
Party Votes
Australian Greens (100% turnout) 4 Yes 0 No
Adam Bandt Melbourne Yes
Stephen Bates Brisbane Yes
Max Chandler-Mather Griffith Yes
Elizabeth Watson-Brown Ryan Yes
Australian Labor Party (99% turnout) 76 Yes 0 No
Anthony Albanese Grayndler Yes
Anne Aly Cowan Yes
Michelle Ananda-Rajah Higgins Yes
Chris Bowen McMahon Yes
Tony Burke Watson Yes
Matt Burnell Spence Yes
Linda Burney Barton Yes
Josh Burns Macnamara Yes
Mark Butler Hindmarsh Yes
Alison Byrnes Cunningham Yes
Jim Chalmers Rankin Yes
Andrew Charlton Parramatta Yes
Lisa Chesters Bendigo Yes
Jason Clare Blaxland Yes
Sharon Claydon Newcastle Yes
Libby Coker Corangamite Yes
Julie Collins Franklin Yes
Pat Conroy Shortland Yes
Mary Doyle Aston Yes
Mark Dreyfus Isaacs Yes
Justine Elliot Richmond Yes
Cassandra Fernando Holt Yes
Mike Freelander Macarthur Yes
Carina Garland Chisholm Yes
Steve Georganas Adelaide Yes
Andrew Giles Scullin Yes
Patrick Gorman Perth Yes
Luke Gosling Solomon Yes
Julian Hill Bruce Yes
Ed Husic Chifley Yes
Stephen Jones Whitlam Yes
Ged Kearney Cooper Yes
Matt Keogh Burt Yes
Peter Khalil Wills Yes
Catherine King Ballarat Yes
Tania Lawrence Hasluck Yes
Jerome Laxale Bennelong Yes
Andrew Leigh Fenner Yes
Sam Lim Tangney Yes
Richard Marles Corio Yes
Zaneta Mascarenhas Swan Yes
Kristy McBain Eden-Monaro Yes
Emma McBride Dobell Yes
Louise Miller-Frost Boothby Yes
Brian Mitchell Lyons Yes
Rob Mitchell McEwen Yes
Daniel Mulino Fraser Yes
Peta Murphy Dunkley Yes
Shayne Neumann Blair Yes
Brendan O'Connor Gorton Yes
Clare O'Neil Hotham Yes
Alicia Payne Canberra Yes
Graham Perrett Moreton Yes
Fiona Phillips Gilmore Yes
Tanya Plibersek Sydney Yes
Sam Rae Hawke Yes
Gordon Reid Robertson Yes
Dan Repacholi Hunter Yes
Amanda Rishworth Kingston Yes
Tracey Roberts Pearce Yes
Michelle Rowland Greenway Yes
Joanne Ryan Lalor Yes
Marion Scrymgour Lingiari Yes
Bill Shorten Maribyrnong Yes
Sally Sitou Reid Yes
David Smith Bean Yes
Anne Stanley Werriwa Yes
Meryl Swanson Paterson Yes
Susan Templeman Macquarie Yes
Matt Thistlethwaite Kingsford Smith Yes
Kate Thwaites Jagajaga Yes
Maria Vamvakinou Calwell Yes
Tim Watts Gellibrand Yes
Anika Wells Lilley Yes
Josh Wilson Fremantle Yes
Tony Zappia Makin Yes
Madeleine King Brand Absent
Rebekha Sharkie Mayo Centre Alliance Yes
Mark Coulton Parkes Deputy Speaker No
Kate Chaney Curtin Independent Yes
Zoe Daniel Goldstein Independent Yes
Andrew Gee Calare Independent Yes
Helen Haines Indi Independent Yes
Dai Le Fowler Independent Yes
Monique Ryan Kooyong Independent Yes
Sophie Scamps Mackellar Independent Yes
Allegra Spender Wentworth Independent Yes
Zali Steggall Warringah Independent Yes
Kylea Tink North Sydney Independent Yes
Andrew Wilkie Clark Independent Yes
Bob Katter Kennedy Katter's Australian Party Absent
Liberal National Party (100% turnout) 2 Yes 6 No
Angie Bell Moncrieff Yes
Phillip Thompson Herbert Yes
Colin Boyce Flynn No
Garth Hamilton Groom No
Henry Pike Bowman No
Andrew Wallace Fisher No
Andrew Willcox Dawson No
Terry Young Longman No
Liberal Party (97% turnout) 27 Yes 6 No
Karen Andrews McPherson Yes
Bridget Archer Bass Yes
David Coleman Banks Yes
Peter Dutton Dickson Yes
Warren Entsch Leichhardt Yes
Paul Fletcher Bradfield Yes
Andrew Hastie Canning Yes
Julian Leeser Berowra Yes
Sussan Ley Farrer Yes
Nola Marino Forrest Yes
Melissa McIntosh Lindsay Yes
Zoe McKenzie Flinders Yes
Scott Morrison Cook Yes
Ted O'Brien Fairfax Yes
Gavin Pearce Braddon Yes
Melissa Price Durack Yes
Rowan Ramsey Grey Yes
James Stevens Sturt Yes
Michael Sukkar Deakin Yes
Angus Taylor Hume Yes
Dan Tehan Wannon Yes
Bert Van Manen Forde Yes
Ross Vasta Bonner Yes
Aaron Violi Casey Yes
Jenny Ware Hughes Yes
Keith Wolahan Menzies Yes
Jason Wood La Trobe Yes
Scott Buchholz Wright No
Ian Goodenough Moore No
Alex Hawke Mitchell No
Luke Howarth Petrie No
Tony Pasin Barker No
Rick Wilson O'Connor No
Russell Broadbent Monash Absent
National Party (100% turnout) 0 Yes 12 No
Sam Birrell Nicholls No
Darren Chester Gippsland No
Pat Conaghan Cowper No
David Gillespie Lyne No
Kevin Hogan Page No
Barnaby Joyce New England No
Michelle Landry Capricornia No
David Littleproud Maranoa No
Michael McCormack Riverina No
Llew O'Brien Wide Bay No
Keith Pitt Hinkler No
Anne Webster Mallee No
Milton Dick Oxley Speaker Absent
Totals (97% turnout) 121 Yes – 25 No