Australia Sets Date for Indigenous 'Voice' Referendum

Facts

• On Wednesday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that the Voice to Parliament referendum, which seeks to create an all-Indigenous advisory body within the federal government, will take place on Oct. 14.¹
• More than 17M registered voters will be asked to cast a vote on whether they approve of amending the Constitution to recognize the First Nations Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.²
• The Voice was proposed by the 2017 Uluru Statement — a historic document drafted by over 250 First Nations leaders — as part of a demand for reforms affecting Indigenous Australians, with whom Australia has never signed a treaty.³
• Billed as a once-in-a-generation vote, the first referendum in more than two decades comes as any constitutional change, amendment or addition must be directly approved by the Australian people.⁴
• Australian referendums require a double majority to pass, meaning more than 50% of the voting public and 50% of states must vote to approve.⁵
• Opinion polls suggest that national support for the Voice has fallen from about two-thirds to less than 48% over the past 12 months, achieving a majority in no more than two states since July.⁶

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²CNN, ³BBC News, ⁴The sydney morning herald, ⁵Daily Mail and ⁶Guardian.

Narratives

• Left narrative, as provided by Guardian. This referendum is perhaps the first serious chance Australia has to chart a new, equitable course for the country — one that includes the voices of the indigenous peoples of Australia. While not a perfect solution, the enshrinement of an indigenous advisory committee would help rectify Australia's shameful history of disenfranchisement and racism against the first people to set foot on the continent's soil. Australia should ignore the old guard and establish a new and fair relationship with indigenous Australians.
• Right narrative, as provided by American spectator. The Voice to Parliament is a dangerous proposal that, if passed, will permanently divide the Australian nation on the basis of race. Australians need only look at neighboring countries to understand the risks of approving such an advisory body, as New Zealand's Waitangi Tribunal has been swiftly hijacked by so-called 'social justice activists.' There are other ways the government can go about improving rights for indigenous populations before undermining unity in the nation.

Predictions