Opposition Leader Bill Shorten,Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull,Lucy Turnbull and Minister for Indigenous Affairs Nigel Scullion at Indigenous event The Long Walk earlier this year.Credit:Stefan Postles
In a statement,Mr Turnbull,Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion and Attorney-General George Brandis said the idea of a representative assembly for Indigenous Australia - in addition to the House of Representatives and Senate - would be inconsistent with the fundamental democratic principle of all citizens having equal civic rights.
"It would inevitably become seen as a third chamber of Parliament,"the trio said of the proposal,which called for an advisory body only without veto power over legislation.
The government said there were doubts about how the body would function,as well as whether such a"radical change to our constitution's representative institutions"have any realistic prospect of being supported by a majority of Australians at a referendum.
Senator Scullion said the proposal was guaranteed to fail,a result he predicted would have set back the cause of reconciliation by decades.