Recognition 'doomed' without consultation

Labor senator Nova Peris believes constitutional recognition is "doomed to fail" if indigenous Australians aren't properly consulted.

Senator Peris said Prime Minister Tony Abbott should explain why he has knocked back a proposal to use indigenous-only conventions to help educate Aboriginal people about constitutional recognition.

"As an Aboriginal person myself and I know I speak for a lot of people, we want to be able to collectively, as Aboriginal Australians, be able to debate and talk about the model that's going to be put to the Australian people," she told ABC Radio on Monday.