Jacinta Price says colonisation had 'positive impact' on Indigenous Australians

In her address to the National Press Club on Thursday, Senator Price argued an Indigenous Voice to Parliament was "built on lies" and that marginalised communities deserved better.

She later rejected the notion that the history of British colonisation continued to negatively affect Indigenous Australians.

"I mean, now we've got running water, we've got readily available food," she told the press club.

"Many of us have the same opportunities as a lot of Australians in this country, and we certainly have probably one of the greatest systems around the country around the world in terms of the democratic structure in comparison to other countries."

A number of government reports have pointed to the harmful effects of colonisation on Indigenous Australians.

Senator Price also claimed that with Indigenous Australians making up 3 per cent of the population and First Nations MPs making up 4 per cent of Parliament, they were now "over-represented".

At the same time, the Northern Territory senator argued that a Voice would undermine the importance of Indigenous MPs "fighting to effect real change" through democratic structures.

The argument has been denounced by "yes" advocates, who emphasise that Indigenous MPs were voted in to represent their electorate, often had to toe the party line and couldn't only represent the interests of First Nations Australians.

But Senator Price branded the criticism as "patronising", stating it suggested the 11 Indigenous representatives currently in Parliament "cannot focus our efforts on improving the lives of marginalised Aboriginal and Torres Strait Australians".

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Asked if she supported constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians, Senator Price said she supported "recognition of Indigenous Australians", omitting the word "constitutional".

In April, she told Sky News she supported recognition of Indigenous Australians in the constitution.

But when questioned on whether she would back a second referendum solely to recognise First Nations Australians in the constitution, Senator Price did not give a clear response.

"It comes down to the processes that we would need to follow in the first place. If Australians are happy to do that, and that is what we find within the processes, then that is what I would support."

In her speech, Senator Price reiterated several "no" campaign talking points, including that the Voice will divide the nation and have larger scope than has been advised.

"Describing the Voice as an advisory group understates its significance and gives the misleading impression, it would be a benign sounding board for ideas," she said. "Its role would be more like a lobby group that acts only in the interests of its clients, not the interests of the government, the parliament or even the nation."

Asked what she would do differently to fix the disadvantages experienced by Indigenous Australians, Senator Price said she would "focus our efforts where our marginalised exist", including those "whose first language is usually non-English" and those without access to services available in cities.

She also wanted an inquiry to understand how statutory authorities that receive federal funding to "improve the lives of our most marginalised" spend the money.

"It's been acknowledged by many, that there have been many failures, but there's no appetite to fix the current structures that exist, only to add to it with this Voice," she said.