Australia Set for Historic Referendum Vote on Aboriginal Rights

In a historic referendum, Australians will vote whether to permanently recognize Indigenous Australians in the Constitution and establish a body to provide guidance on laws that would affect their communities.

In the mandatory vote on October 14, more than 17.6 million Australians are required to cast a ballot.

According to the plan, an advisory body composed entirely of Indigenous Australians would be chosen. It would be able to directly consult with the administration and parliament but would not have the ability to veto legislation.

“For as long as this continent has been colonized, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been fighting to assert and reassert the right to determine their own futures in this place,” said Sana Nakata, Principal Research Fellow at the Indigenous Education and Research Centre at James Cook University, according to ABC.

“So this vote has been a long time in the making. It won’t come again,” said Professor Nakata.

80% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians favor “the voice,” according to a poll. Opinions regarding “the voice” vary, even among Indigenous communities, where some people are unsure of how much change it will truly effect.

“Like in any community, not all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people agree, “ said Professor Nakata. “There are prominent Aboriginal people arguing against the Voice to Parliament process on conservative grounds, and others who argue against the Voice to Parliament out of preference for treaty or to demand greater law-making power than the Voice enables.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is advocating for a “yes” vote, despite strong opposition from the government and the right-leaning National party.

In recent reporting, it appears the “no” side is in the lead in the polls.

In any case, there’s no denying that the referendum is stoking a passionate national discussion in Australia about where the country stands on national reconciliation and compelling Australia to face its past.

Indigenous Australians continue to face significant challenges, including a shorter life expectancy, heightened suicide rates, and among the highest incarceration rates globally.

Supporters of the “Yes” campaign believe that a constitutional amendment acknowledging them is a pathway towards healing historical wounds and narrowing the disparities between Indigenous Australians and the broader community. Such a change, they argue, could lead to tangible improvements in areas like health and infant mortality, education, and job opportunities for Indigenous Australians.

Conversely, opponents in the “no” faction argue that introducing an advisory body might only add bureaucratic complexities, potentially causing delays or inefficacies. They also express concerns about the ambiguity of the proposal.

However, Professor Nakata counters these concerns by emphasizing that this initiative wouldn’t hamper governmental or legislative efficiency, saying, “all in all, the Voice offers an opportunity to hold the existing bureaucracy more accountable to the communities that they govern and does so in a way that allows ‘the Voice’ to determine for itself what are priority issues to guide its work.”

A majority of Australian voters and at least four out of six states must both vote in favor of the measure in order for it to pass with a double majority.

The rights of Indigenous people have been codified in some nations, such as Canada, where the Constitution Act of 1982 affirms the rights of the Indigenous population.