Brennan, a staunch advocate for giving Indigenous Australians a voice in parliament, accuses the Albanese government of three major errors he believes have set back the cause.

According to Brennan, the following have all been detrimental -

• the government's failure to establish a bipartisan approach after last year's Garma festival
• its reluctance to unveil draft legislation for the Voice
• the Prime Minister's unilateral selection of 21 Indigenous leaders for the referendum working group.

"These three fundamental errors by government have put us so far behind the eight-ball, not only in terms of constitutional recognition but in terms of bringing the country together" Brennan told Sydney's 2GB radio.

Brennan also expressed strong disapproval of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's comment that the Voice referendum would have been valuable even if it failed as it would bring attention to Indigenous disadvantage.

"I don't know a single Aboriginal person who says they'd want to go through this again and that it was worth doing" Brennan said.

Brennan added that, because of this mishandling, race relations in Australia are in a "hell of a mess".

Brennan says that the deadlock between major parties and Indigenous leaders on constitutional recognition has persisted for too long.

"We've been trying to find that sweet spot that can bring the Labor Party, the Liberal Party and the Aboriginal leadership together" he said.

"What I do urge on people when they're thinking on how to vote is let's at least respectfully listen to the Aboriginal voices.

"I would hope that people, if they vote No, will do it because they've heard Aboriginal people convincing them that they should vote No - or, if they vote Yes, they've heard Aboriginal people convincing them they should vote Yes," said Brennan.

In the event of a 'No' vote for the Voice referendum, Brennan urged the Prime Minister and Liberal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to reconsider their stances on constitutional recognition. He also emphasised the importance of listening to Aboriginal voices when making a voting decision.

The Jesuit lawyer highlighted the stark contrast between the voice referendum and the same-sex marriage plebiscite, noting that the latter was about treating everyone the same way.

"You didn't have leading gays and lesbians out there saying vote No. What we've got here is clear public division between key Aboriginal leaders," he said.

"That's why we needed a process which was far more aimed at getting people locked into a process, and that sadly wasn't done," Brennan concluded.

Prime Minister Albanese meanwhile remains optimistic about the referendum's chances.

Sources

• The Australian
• Radio 2gB - Sydney

Despite the political risks of taking a stand, some urge these leaders to move beyond mere words and show decisive support for the constitutional change.

Francis Sullivan, who formerly led the Catholic Church's Truth, Justice and Healing Council, minced no words in his call for action.

"This is not a time for dilly-dallying. This is a time for leadership," Sullivan declared.

He expressed concern that the constitutional change's legal intricacies are muddying the waters, causing some church leaders to waver despite their earlier, unequivocal support for the Indigenous Voice.

Sullivan weighed in saying, "This is a moral issue for the church, not a legal one."

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has already endorsed the Indigenous Voice in writing, but Sullivan is pushing for that endorsement to be backed by concrete actions before the referendum deadline.

Voice vote a "hell of a mess"

Fr Frank Brennan SJ, a long-time advocate for Indigenous rights, recently spoke at a gathering in Victoria.

Brennan described the Voice referendum as "a hell of a mess," but is still urging people to vote "yes".

"I'm one Australian who stood up and said, ‘I don't think the wording is perfect, I don't think the process has been perfect, but we're left with an invidious choice,'" Brennan said.

"Do we choose some wording which may not be perfect, or do we say No and we put this off to another day?"

Brennan says Catholic social teaching and decades of papal support for Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples provide strong grounds for Catholics to vote Yes on 14 October, he said.

Religious community divided

However, the religious community remains divided on the issue.

While Anglican leaders have voiced support for the constitutional change, some within the church are cautioning that the "view from the pew" may not align with the bishops' stance.

"I think the bishops will find that they have been singing in their own bathroom on this one," Fr Peter Macleod-Miller, the rector of St Matthews Anglican Church in Albury.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recently attended a Uniting Church service in Sydney, pledging bipartisan oversight for the Voice's legislative setup if the majority votes in favour.

Simon Hansford, a Uniting Church minister, argued that Christian teachings inherently support the Voice, as they call for aiding those who are marginalised.

Despite considerable support from its member councils and other Islamic leaders, the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils has yet to reach a consensus and the Australian Christian Lobby has yet to declare its stance on the matter.

Sources

• SMH
• The Catholic Weekly

Father Frank Brennan (pictured), a Jesuit priest and human rights lawyer, blames leadership on both political sides for not seeking common ground.

He hopes a "reconciling spirit" will blow through parliament's chambers during the next three weeks while elected leaders lay the groundwork for the three-month campaign.

He says he'd like some changes made to the federal government's proposed Indigenous Voice referendum question.

It's too broad, he says. Its reference to the Voice making representations to executive government will attract many legal challenges.

He suggests changing the wording from "executive government" to "ministers of state" could broaden support for the referendum.

However, given all major political parties' reluctance to consider any proposed Constitutional amendments, the wording of the change "might not be perfect," he says.

Stating his case in Rome

On Saturday, Brennan will deliver a lecture on the referendum at the Pontifical Gregorian University.

His draft lecture notes say he proposes discussing a contemporary Australian perspective on recognising Aboriginal rights.

He will also urge Australians to recommit to "deep inner listening" towards each other and the land.

This will include reminding Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton of their responsibility for the debate's tone.

"Neither side of the parliamentary chamber has done what was needed to bring the country together, to bring reconciliation in our land, to bring the country to ‘Yes'," Brennan's notes say.

"The government has assured parliament that it would have the power to legislate whether and how representations by the Voice need to be considered by the executive government, and should "tweak the words" to ensure that public servants performing routine administrative tasks will not be required to consider representations by the Voice."

Voters will face a stark choice in the referendum, his lecture notes continue.

"We can vote ‘No' to a constitutionally enshrined Voice either because we continue to think that all constitutional entitlements should be held ‘in common with all other Australians' or because we are not convinced that the Voice will work effectively," the notes say.

"Or we can vote ‘Yes' because, whatever the imperfections of the wording and the risk of future complications, we think it is high time that Australia's First Peoples were recognised in the Constitution in a manner sought and approved by a broad cross-section of Indigenous leaders."

He also plans to tell his audience that only eight of 44 referendums have succeeded in Australia since the federation and he hopes "this one will be the ninth".

Papal gift

Brennan presented a copy of his new book, "An Indigenous Voice to Parliament: Considering a Constitutional Bridge", to Pope Francis this week.

His dedication on the gift says he is "hoping and praying for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament."

"May the Australian people bring the country to ‘Yes', recognising the rights of our First Peoples who have occupied the Great South Land of the Holy Spirit for tens of thousands of years," he says.

Source

• WAToday