South Australia poised to legislate first Indigenous voice to parliament

Agius told Guardian Australia that once the bill is introduced and comes into effect, he is hopeful the voice will hold their first meetings by December.

Agius, a Kaurna, Narungga, Ngadjuri and Ngarrindjeri man, has already held two rounds of consultations in Aboriginal communities across the state to inform the legislated model, which will be put to parliament in a special sitting on Sunday.

Voting for voice candidates would be conducted by the SA electoral commission, and would be held at the same time as regular state elections.

The SA voice will have an impact on legislation, policy and life outcomes, and will be a way for communities to raise issues that are important to them, Agius said.

But he acknowledged that one of the key differences between the SA voice and a federal model, if it succeeds, is that the SA voice will not be constitutionally enshrined and would remain vulnerable to reform or abolition by any future government.