Referendum on Indigenous voice to parliament a ‘complete waste’ of money, Lidia Thorpe says

Greens senator wants treaty progress first while NT senator Jacinta Price says there's no way' she can support Labor's proposal

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Labor's hopes of a consensus on an Indigenous voice to parliament could be in doubt, with Coalition and Greens senators criticising the government for waste" and calling for practical action over symbolism.

The prime minister pledged a referendum within this parliamentary term, a move the Victorian Greens senator Lidia Thorpe labelled a complete waste" of money, saying advances towards a treaty were more important.

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