'If not now, when?': Emotional Australian PM advances Indigenous referendum

FILE PHOTO: Australian Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders wearing traditional dress stand in front of Government House after performing in a welcoming ceremony in Sydney, Australia, June 28, 2017. REUTERS/David Gray/File Photo

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia took a step on Thursday towards a historical referendum to give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders recognition in the constitution and, for the first time, a voice on matters that affect their lives.

In an emotional address, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed the question the government wants to set in the referendum later this year, urging Australians to back what he described as a long overdue vote.