The Voice

The Society has a long history of advocating in support of Constitutional Recognition. Our position is not new.

In 2000, the Society developed Seeking a Shared Spirit, a social justice paper in support of Indigenous Reconciliation following on from Pope John Paul II's apology to Australia's First Nations peoples. The Society supported Constitutional Recognition in 2013 in response to the 2012 Constitutional Recognition Bill. This support was reiterated in 2014, in response to the 2014 Senate Select Committee on Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. In 2021, the Society’s position on The Voice was outlined in response to the Australian Government’s Indigenous voice co-design interim report. In 2022, the Society outlined its position in our Federal Election Statement, A Fairer Australia. And in 2023, the Society launched its updated policy paper on Australia's First Nations peoples during Reconciliation Week. 

With over 45,000 members and volunteers, processes have been put in place to obtain feedback and reach agreement on policy and advocacy matters, from the conference level up.

We are a membership-based organisation. Our members come from diverse levels of society. National Council consists of each State and Territory President and meets at least four times per year to discuss the Society’s operations and directions including governance, finance, risk and, importantly, advocacy. Advocacy is based on policy agreed to by National Council.

On advocacy matters, National Council is advised by National Council Social Justice Advisory Committee (NCSJAC) and the Vincentian Refugee Network. The NCSJAC comprises social justice representatives from the states and territories and meets at least three times per year. Social justice representatives are a conduit for information sharing on all social policy matters, from conferences to regional and state councils up. They raise issues of concern in their jurisdictions and provide evidence-based advice to National Council that reflects the membership’s views, Vincentian values, and principles of Catholic Social Teaching (pdf file).

We advocate on a wide range of social concerns that align with our charitable purpose and the original mission of Blessed Frederic Ozanam.

In supporting the Voice to Parliament, the Society is inspired by Ozanam’s Catholic solidarity with citizens who are vulnerable, and to create a more compassionate society.

During the lifetime of Frederic Ozanam (the founder of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul) he experienced a world in which war, poverty, and politics ignored the suffering of the most vulnerable. In the age of post-revolutionary France and the Napoleonic wars, France had developed a strongly anti-religious intellectualism that viewed Catholicism with contempt.

As a brilliant university student and academic, Ozanam debated non-religious scholars. He faced strong intellectual opposition to his arguments. This criticism questioned Catholicism itself arguing it offered nothing to society, particularly the poor. For Ozanam, he rejected these criticisms. He not only argued his case, he also actively helped the poor and vulnerable of Paris.

For the gospel ideals of faith, hope, love, and compassion to inspire a more just society, good works had to be a true demonstration of solidarity with the poor and vulnerable. The Society has a long history of assisting people living in poverty, as well as supporting people seeking asylum, people experiencing domestic violence, people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and those living with disability or health issues. We also advocate strongly in these areas for change. Such positions are consistent with Ozanam’s founding principles and with Catholic Social Teaching. We believe in human dignity and the common good.

Advocacy on social justice issues is enshrined in our governing document, The Rule.

The purpose of our advocacy includes challenging the causes of human injustice and promoting a more just Australian society. For almost 170 years in Australia, the Society has helped people in need. Everything we do is informed by our Values of Commitment, Compassion, Respect, Integrity, Empathy, Courage and Advocacy. We do not align ourselves with any party. As a registered charity we are apolitical. The Society:

• “…helps the poor and disadvantaged speak for themselves. When they cannot, the Society must speak on behalf of those who are ignored.” (Part I, #7.5)

• “…aspires to be recognized as a caring Catholic charity offering “a hand up” to people in need. We do this by respecting their dignity, sharing our hope, and encouraging them to take control of their own destiny.”

A wide range of people from all levels of society, and backgrounds, support the Voice.

The Society’s position aligns with the views of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC) and the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC), who both endorse the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

The Fifth Catholic Church Plenary Council of Australia’s First Decree, Reconciliation: Healing Wounds, Receiving Gifts, endorses the Uluru Statement and commits to walk with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in working towards recognition, reconciliation and justice.

Six leading faith-based social services charities, including the Society, have co-signed an open letter to Federal Parliament, calling for support for The Voice and Constitutional Recognition. The other organisations include Catholic Social Services Australia, Anglicare Australia, Baptist Care Australia, The Salvation Army and UnitingCare Australia. 

A coalition of national religious and ethno-religious organisations has sent a joint open letter to all federal parliamentarians calling on them to cooperate across political divides in support of the upcoming Voice referendum. The national organisations represent Christian, Hindi, Sikh, Muslim, Buddhism and Jewish communities, supportive of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

All State Premiers and Territory Chief Ministers have signed a Statement of Intent, signalling their commitment to ‘work collaboratively to support a constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament.’ They have also endorsed the principles for the Voice put forward by the Referendum Working Group.

In 2017, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander delegates signed the Uluru Statement from the Heart, a petition calling on the Australian Government to implement “Voice, Treaty and Truth”.

The “Voice” refers to a constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament, an advisory body to Government on policies and laws that impact the lives of Indigenous Australians. Constitutionally enshrining the Voice would provide recognition to Indigenous people and fill a gap in the Australian Constitution (Prof Anne Twomey). The purpose of the Voice is to allow Aboriginal voices to be consulted on matters that affect them.

If the Referendum is passed, it will be up to Parliament to determine how The Voice will operate.

The Voice to Parliament will not have any veto or judiciary powers and will not be a third chamber. The Australian Parliament will still have control over decision making. (Professor Tom Calma). While the referendum will establish the Voice, the Australian Parliament will still need to legislate the structure of how the body will operate. The referendum will enshrine the process but not the substance of the Voice to Parliament (Associate Professor Ron Levy)

The Referendum Working Group has agreed broad and inclusive consultation with First Nations peoples and communities is critical to ensure the final Voice model reflects the views of First Nations communities.

In December 2021, the Morrison Government released its Final Report on a co-designed model for The Voice. The report is accessible here. 

1. The question that will be put to the Australian Parliament and then the Australian people is developed.
2. A Bill which includes the words of the question is introduced to parliament and then debated and finalised by the parliament. A referendum will only be held if the Bill is passed in both houses (House of Representatives & Senate).
3. Case committees are formed after parliament votes
   Parliamentarians who voted for the proposal form the ‘Yes committee,’ those that voted against form the ‘No committee.’ These committees are responsible for activities supporting a vote for or against the proposed alteration to the Constitution.
4. Governor General issues a Writ
   The ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ cases proposed by the committees are lodged with the Electoral Commissioner four weeks after passage of the Bill. These cases, along with a statement showing the proposed materials, must be posted to every voter on the electoral roll, no later than 14 days before polling day.
5. Double majority required
   The proposed alteration to The Constitution must be approved by a ‘double majority,’ that is a national majority of voters in the states and territories, and a majority of voters in a majority of the states.

The latest information on progress of The Voice, developed by the Australian Government, is accessible here.

The Australian Government established the:

• First Nations Referendum Working Group to advise the Government on how best to ensure a successful Referendum and focus on the key questions that need to be considered. 
• First Nations Referendum Engagement Group to advise about building community understanding, awareness and support for the Referendum. 
• a Constitutional Expert Group to provide legal advice on constitutional matters relating to the referendum

The Government introduced the Constitution Alteration (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice) 2023 in the House of Representatives on 30 March 2023 and established the Joint Select Committee on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice Referendum (the Committee)

On 12 May 2023, the Committee tabled its report, recommending that the Constitution Alteration (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice) 2023 be passed without amendments. This report is available here.

On 24 May 2023, the Government released its response to the report, supporting the Committee’s recommendations. The Government rejected Liberal members’ dissenting reports namely that The Voice should not be adopted in its current form and while the Coalition will not stand in the way of Australians having their say on the proposal, the Government should amend the drafting of the Constitution Alteration (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice) 2023 to address the significant risks identified through the Committee process. Finally, the people should never again be asked to vote on constitutional amendments that do not have the benefit of details public debate, in the form of constitutional conventions or similar. The Government’s response is available here.

On 31 May 2023, the House of Representatives voted 121 (Yes) 25 (No) to pass the legislation.