Australians Vote 'No' in Historic Indigenous Rights Referendum

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Facts

  • On Saturday, Australia overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to amend the Constitution to recognize First Nations people and create a new advisory body to the federal parliament and government.1
  • This comes as Australians voted in the country's first referendum in nearly a quarter of a century, dubbed 'The Voice,' with a national majority as well as majorities in four of six states being required for the proposal to be successful.2
  • With roughly 80% of the ballots counted nationwide, the 'No' vote has secured 60.7% of the national vote and majorities in all six states plus the Northern Territory. The Australian Capital Territory was the only jurisdiction to record a 'Yes' vote.3
  • Following the defeat of the 'Yes' campaign, some Indigenous leaders announced a 'week of silence' while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that Australia must now find a different way to the 'same reconciled destination.'4
  • Meanwhile, opposition leader Peter Dutton called on the country to unite after the 'prime minister's divisive referendum,' demanding the government to shift its focus on the cost-of-living crisis in Australia and suggesting an audit of spending on Aboriginal programs.5
  • The Indigenous citizens of Australia, who have inhabited the continent for nearly 65K years, make up about 3.8% of the country's population of 26M.6

Sources: 1BBC News, 2Reuters, 3ABC Australia, 4SBS Language, 5The Guardian and 6Al Jazeera.

Narratives

  • Left narrative, as provided by The Guardian. Australia's First Nations people have endured generations of discrimination, exclusion, and outright theft. The referendum was a way to try and unite the country, but it failed due to a misinformation campaign that steered the debate away from the core issues. The result damages Australia's image in the world regarding how it treats Indigenous people.
  • Right narrative, as provided by American Spectator. A Yes vote for the Indigenous Voice referendum — a distraction from achieving practical and positive outcomes — would have let politicians widely seen as untrustworthy to create the set of rules governing the body while dividing Australians along racial lines without actually reducing Indigenous disadvantage and marginalization.

Predictions