Opposition growing to government’s proposed changes to referendum laws before voice vote

The federal government is coming under increasing pressure to reinstate funding for public campaign material ahead of the voice to parliament referendum amid fears social media will become the main provider of vital electoral information.

Uphold and Recognise, a prominent advocate of Indigenous constitutional recognition, said the government could "erode confidence in the legitimacy" of the vote if it made major changes to established referendum protocols.

"For a vote this important, parliamentarians must consider if electors should rely on social media to be the provider of information on such an important issue," Uphold and Recognise's executive director, Kerry Pinkstone, told the parliamentary committee investigating the government's proposed changes to the Referendum Act.

The changes under consideration by the joint standing committee on electoral matters include declining to provide public funding for either the yes or no side and abolishing the printing of official pamphlets outlining the campaign arguments.

The government has sought to abolish an "antiquated" rule requiring the printing of the pamphlets to educate voters. Referendum laws require the government to produce and mail information pamphlets to voters, containing 2,000-word essays from those in favour and those opposed to the referendum change. That provision would be scrapped.

Constitutional expert George Williams called the pamphlet "not fit for purpose". The special minister of state, Don Farrell, said the Referendum Act "does not reflect modern delivery and communications methods".

But groups such as the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) want the pamphlet maintained, noting recent parliamentary reports had supported it.