Exclusive: ‘A waste of money’: Greens’ Lidia Thorpe attacks Voice referendum ahead of negotiations with Labor | LisaVisentin
Greens senator Lidia Thorpe has called the Voice to parliament referendum a “waste of money”, saying the funds could be better spent in Indigenous communities, prompting party leader Adam Bandt to stress the party was still committed to “good faith” negotiations.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has committed to a referendum in this term, this week ruled out taking the referendum to a vote in the first half of next year. Bandt declined to comment on Thorpe’s view that a referendum would be a waste of money, but via a spokesman recommitted to negotiating “in good faith”.
“This meeting is not about the Voice. The Labor government has never reached out to me to talk to me about the Voice,” she said. She added the government was “kidding themselves to think that they’re going to a referendum next year”.
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