The Indigenous Voice to Parliament, also known as the First Nations Voice or simply the Voice, is a proposed Australian federal advisory body that would comprise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to represent the views of Indigenous communities. The Voice would give independent advice to the Parliament and Government on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The Parliament would have the power to make laws with respect to matters relating to the Voice, including its composition, functions, powers, and procedures. The Voice would not deliver services, manage government funding, be a clearing house for research, or have any executive power.
The Voice was proposed as a means of recognizing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia in the Constitution. The proposal was drawn from the Uluru Statement from the Heart from 250 Indigenous leaders, which called for three phases of reform - Voice, followed by Treaty and Truth-telling about Australia’s colonial history. The proposal was for constitutional change to ensure the Voice would not be abolished by the government in the future, as previous Indigenous bodies have been.
The Albanese government has proposed to enshrine the Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the Constitution, which would be voted on in a referendum. The historic national vote took place on October 14, 2023, and the results showed that the referendum was defeated.