Lidia Thorpe claims Voice ‘fakes progress’ as she demands Anthony Albanese cancel referendum and begin treaty making

Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe has used her National Press Club address to demand the government axe the Voice to Parliament referendum and instead seek treaty with Indigenous communities.

The fiery speech on Wednesday attempted to dismantle the government’s claim that its Voice proposal was a request from Australia’s Indigenous communities.

Senator Thorpe said the referendum was a continuation of the “lies” of the Commonwealth, accusing the Albanese Labor government of pushing a “powerless advisory body”.

“It promises to finally fix the Aboriginal problem, it is false hope, because it is tricking people into genuinely believing that a powerless advisory body is going to protect our country and sacred sites, save our lives, keep our babies at home,” Senator Thorpe said.

“This is just another attempt by a colonial government to make clear that it has power over us, and force its rules upon us.

“Do not expect us to be silently complicit in our own colonisation. The Voice is the easy way to fake progress without actually having to change a thing. It is a destructive distraction absolving government of its continued crimes.”

The Voice to Parliament referendum is set to be held in October, but after starting out with widespread support, recent polls suggest the proposal is headed for defeat.

Parliament is split in its position on the Voice with Labor, the Greens and a large section of the crossbench supporting the proposal, while the Coalition, One Nation and Senator Thorpe stand firmly against it – albeit from different perspectives.

Rejecting the concept of constitutional recognition, Senator Thorpe said the Voice would eliminate Indigenous sovereignty and assure the First Nations’ communities could not negotiate treaties.

“The Voice proposal endorses the racist ideology that black people have to be governed by someone else. The Voice doesn’t end domination, but affirms it,” she said.

“We are merely pointing out that there is no progress. That there is false hope, and that we deserve better.

“This is why we should call off the referendum. It has caused nothing but harm and division. And, for what? There won’t be change until this society changes.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has consistently baulked at calls for him to abandon the Voice referendum.

Speaking at the Garma festival in Arnhem Land earlier this month, Mr Albanese was adamant there was “nothing to fear and everything to gain” from the Voice, vowing the would be “no delaying or deferring this referendum”.

While Senator Thorpe rejected the ability of the Voice to institute change for Indigenous Australians, she put forward five proposals to “end the war” on First Nations’ peoples.

She said the government needed to pursue truth telling, implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and institute the 1997 Bringing Them Home Report which aims to end the separation of First Nations families.

The Senator also called for the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People to come into force and finally demanded a process for treaty.

Treaty was one of the elements of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, alongside truth telling and the Voice.

The Albanese government has committed to the Uluru Statement “in full” and to establishing a Makarrata Commission to oversee the treaty process.

But figures from the No camp including Senator Thorpe and Warren Mundine have demanded treaties over the Voice.

Senator Thorpe said the process would provide each remaining Indigenous nation the opportunity to “negotiate on the things that matter to us” including land and sea rights.

“Treaty provides us with an opportunity to put everything on the table. To reset the framework and heal. Peace treaties must be front and centre with every one of our nations to self-determine for themselves,” she said.

“It has to come from the people. And the best part – you don’t need a referendum for a treaty. Just a government who is willing.

“Senate seats can be legislated, recommendations can be implemented, change can happen. This is our chance to mature as a nation. To have the hard conversations with each other and ourselves.”