Design Principles of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island

In summary the principles of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice released by the Prime Minister are:

· The Voice will give independent advice to the Parliament and Government

· The Voice will be chosen by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people based on the wishes of local communities

· The Voice will be representative of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, gender balanced and include youth

· The Voice will be empowering, community-led, inclusive, respectful and culturally informed

· The Voice will be accountable and transparent

· The Voice will work alongside existing organisations and traditional structures

· The Voice will not have a program delivery function

· The Voice will not have a veto power.

These principles were developed by the First Nations Referendum Working Group and endorsed by the Australian Government. If the proposed law is approved at the referendum, there will be a process with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, the Parliament, and the broader public to settle the Voice design. Legislation to establish the Voice will then go through standard parliamentary processes to ensure adequate scrutiny by elected representatives in both houses of Parliament.

For additional information visit the website via the link below 

https://voice.niaa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-03/design-principles-aboriginal-torres-strait-islander-voice.pdf