The prime minister has shot down calls for taxpayer funds to be used to bankroll “yes” and “no” campaigns for the Indigenous Voice referendum.
As Opposition Leader Peter Dutton seeks input into the way the referendum will operate, Anthony Albanese said public funds should be off-limits for the campaigns.
“Taxpayers shouldn’t be funding the campaigns of ‘yes’ and ’no',” Albanese said in Canberra on Thursday.
Dutton has called for public funds to be used for administrative purposes for both sides.
“You’re not talking $100 million each for advertising campaigns or anything crazy like that, and there will be a lot of corporate sponsorship, particularly for the ‘yes’ case that comes in from companies,” he told Sydney radio station 2GB.
“The only public funding that should be used ... (is) for the administration that the key proponents will need to put their cases.”
Dutton denied his stance was at odds with senior Liberal Simon Birmingham, who said both sides were already well organised and didn’t need financial assistance.
“I’m not keen to see large licks of taxpayer funding spent on running campaigns,” Senator Birmingham told ABC Radio.
“There may need to be some administrative support for the standing up of official ‘yes’ or ’no‘ campaign committees, but that’s about as far as I’d want to see anything go.”
The prime minister said he welcomed the senator’s stance.
“I welcome anyone who wants to join this journey on the path to reconciliation,” he said.
“This isn’t the opportunity to look for a division. This is the opportunity to look for national unity, to embrace the opportunity which is there.”
The government is in talks with the coalition on pamphlets to be mailed to households before the referendum detailing the “yes” and “no” arguments.
The referendum on enshrining an Indigenous Voice to Parliament is due to be held in the second half of this year.
The prime minister said “it wouldn’t hurt” for the pamphlets to be distributed.
“People are going to put things in letterboxes anyway during a referendum. If people want taxpayers to pay for it, as a judgement call there, fine,” he said.
However, Dutton said the pamphlets were a reasonable idea, and the government had seen common sense.
“Australians want to have that information so that they can make an informed decision,” he said.
“It’s not unreasonable or radical to ask for detail of what you’re being asked to vote for.”
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said negotiations on public funding and information were underway.
Senator Birmingham said he did not want to see the referendum fail and called for the government to supply more information on how the voice would operate to ensure more people could vote for it.
“The absence of detail presents the easiest arguments for the ‘no’ campaign to run against this,” he said.
“The principle of recognition, the principle of consultation ... I support that, but I don’t want to see a referendum put that fails.”
