The government is pressing ahead with plans for constitutional recognition of indigenous Australians with a parliamentary committee set to report soon.
That's despite a suggestion from Aboriginal leader Noel Pearson, who proposes a separate declaration of the place and history of indigenous people as well as the constitutional change.
Attorney-General George Brandis said on Tuesday he noted what Mr Pearson had had to say and respected his views.
He said the government's proposed constitutional change remained achievable.
The process is now in the hands of indigenous Liberal MP Ken Wyatt, chair of the parliamentary committee framing the question to be put to the referendum to amend the constitution, likely to be held in 2017.
Senator Brandis said the government will receive the report during the budget sittings of parliament in May and June.
"It is the intention of the government to proceed with an appropriately phrased referendum question on the constitutional recognition of indigenous people," he told reporters.
Senator Brandis said not many referendums had ever succeeded.
He said he agreed with Mr Pearson's assessment that those hesitant about constitutional change needed to be reassured.
"Whatever referendum question the government adopts will be adopted with a view to giving an appropriate measure of reassurance to people of a more sceptical or conservative cast of mind," he said.
Warren Mundine, Prime Minister Tony Abbott's chief indigenous adviser, said Mr Pearson wasn't helping.
"We need to get back to the real issues regarding the constitution and that is removal of the race laws and inclusion of a preamble and just leaving it at that and moving forward," he told Sky News.
"Anything else is just playing around."
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