Key points on the Indigenous voice referendum proposal

WHAT IS PROPOSED BY THE REFERENDUM WORKING GROUP?

* The constitutional change will involve adding three clauses saying:

"There shall be a body, to be called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice;

"The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice may make representations to parliament and the executive government of the Commonwealth on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples;

"The parliament shall, subject to this constitution, have power to make laws with respect to matters relating to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, including its composition, functions, powers and procedures."

WHAT WOULD VOTERS BE ASKED?

* "A proposed law to alter the constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice. Do you approve this proposed alteration?"

WHAT DOES THE LIBERAL PARTY WANT?

* The Liberal Party supports a change to the constitution to recognise Indigenous people, but does not want to enshrine a voice to parliament and executive government.

* Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the party supported a legislated regional and local voice rather than a national body.

* Mr Dutton says he is happy to sit down with the prime minister immediately to draft the constitutional recognition wording.

WHAT DO THE NATIONALS SAY?

* The Nationals will oppose any form of voice, saying another layer of bureaucracy is not needed.

* Nationals leader David Littleproud says he could support a preamble in the constitution recognising Indigenous people, but members have not come to a view on it.

WHAT IS BEING SAID ABOUT THE INDIGENOUS VOICE?

"This is a nation-building effort and I call upon everyone to support it. This is not controversial and should not be an issue of partisan politics. It's a modest proposal."

- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

"This is not all new work, it's been a culmination from (former) prime minister John Howard, Julia Gillard and subsequent prime ministers. We've had this continuity and there have been numerous reports. People who argue contrary to that shows they did not give scant attention to even the executive summary of those reports."

- Referendum Working Group member and former Morrison government minister Ken Wyatt

"We want to make sure that we can get the best possible outcomes for Indigenous Australians and we do that through recognising Indigenous Australians in the constitution ... Having a Canberra voice is not going to resolve the issues on the ground in Indigenous communities."

- Opposition Leader Peter Dutton

"The onus is on the government to demonstrate how Anthony Albanese's voice proposal can improve the lives of Indigenous Australians without dividing all Australians."

- Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley

"There's nothing to lose for Australia and everything to gain."

- Referendum Working Group member Thomas Mayo

"The prime minister has chosen this process or lack thereof. He has chosen not to legislate the voice while he builds consensus and gives the Australian people details."

- Shadow attorney-general Julian Leeser