Indigenous voice remains Labor plan

Labor remains committed to giving indigenous Australians a formal voice in federal parliament and enshrining it in the constitution.

In a joint statement with indigenous federal Labor MPs, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said reports his party may walk from the plan were "nonsense".

"We support the voice. We support enshrining it in the constitution. It is our first priority for constitutional change," he said in the statement with Linda Burney, Patrick Dodson and Malarndirri McCarthy.

Cape York leader Noel Pearson has suggested Labor would need to choose to pursue Australia becoming a republic or indigenous recognition in the constitution in a first term of government.

Going with the republic first would be a "shocking idea", he said.

"It is a completely shocking idea and, quite frankly in my mind, an appalling idea," he told ABC radio.

The step would mean the republic would be coming with the "blood Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history still not cleaned up", he said.

"What a horrible republic that would be."

Mr Shorten said if Labor wins the next election it would set about making the indigenous voice to parliament a reality, if it can't reach bipartisan agreement with the government sooner.

"We will move quickly following the election to agree on a process with first nations people - including a clear pathway to a referendum," he said.

"We will also work with them in establishing a Makarrata Commission for agreement-making and truth-telling."

The voice would be a way for indigenous people to have a greater say in the policy issues that impact their lives and not a third chamber of parliament, the group of Labor representatives stressed.

A parliamentary committee on constitutional recognition will on Thursday release a report on the issue.