One of Australia's most prominent Indigenous voices says Tony Abbott is "as weak as water" in his self-declared role as Prime Minister for Indigenous Australians.
The former head of the now defunct Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission says she has no faith in his commitment to constitutional recognition of Aboriginal people.
Mr Abbott says a referendum on the subject might happen on the 50th anniversary of the 1967 referendum, in May 2017.
But Lowitja O'Donoghue says that timeline is too far into the future.
Indigenous recognition in Australia's constitution has been on the political agenda since 2007.
And last December, Tony Abbott made this commitment.
"Now I am prepared to sweat blood on this. This is at least as important as any of the other causes that this Government has been prepared to take on. I want this to happen. I want this to happen as quickly as it can."
But Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says there is strong support among Indigenous leaders for the matter to get more attention.
And he is proposing he and Mr Abbott host a parliamentary gathering of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders to revive public debate.
"What's important to regain momentum in recognition of Indigenous Australians is for Tony Abbott and myself to meet with a range of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders in this country, to get together ... a gathering, if you like. There's been great work done by parliamentary committees chaired and deputy-chaired by Ken Wyatt, the Liberal Member for Western Australia, and Senator Nova Peris, both proud Indigenous Australians. But momentum's stalled."
At the same time, Mr Shorten has also renewed a call for a debate on an Australian republic.
The former head of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, Lowitja O'Donoghue, says she questions if Mr Abbott is committed enough to constitutional recognition.
"He's as weak as bloody water and goes out there kissing babies and, you know, running around in the communities. He's supposed to be Prime Minister for Aborigines. Oh, forget it. No, no, no, he's not shaping up well at all."
Dr O'Donoghue says Mr Abbott's suggested timing of a 2017 referendum is too far into the future.
"Well, I think it is too far off. We need to get that being unified sort of much quicker. But the real problem, of course, with that is the fact that our people have waited too long and, really, they're anxious to get it on the table and to actually get a successful ... It would be devastating, absolute devastating, to go and not get a successful referendum."
Mr Abbott has used that point as part of his argument for delaying any referendum, though, saying the time is needed to build support.
Lowitja O'Donoghue says, if there is to be a successful referendum, young Indigenous people who want change must unite and do the hard work that will be needed.
"There are a lot of young Aboriginal people who have the passion. But, on the other hand, I think they've got to do it like we did. They've got to come out where the rubber hits the road and do the hard yards on the ground first. You don't just get up there. You know? My term is, 'Come out where the rubber hits the road and do the hard yards if you really feel strongly about being involved.'"
