October 15, 2023 – 08:23
The vast majority of Australians voted no to the referendum initiative, which would have recognized Indigenous Australians in the Constitution, and under which a government advisory body would be established to represent them in Parliament. BBC. 60% of those entitled to participate in the referendum voted “no” and 40% voted yes.
the guardian According to all six states, both genders were in the majority. The percentage of yes votes was highest in the state of Victoria, where 46 percent supported the referendum initiative called “The Voice.”
In a country of 26 million people, indigenous people constitute 3.8 per cent of the total population and, according to all current surveys, are the most disadvantaged. Although Aboriginal people have lived in Australia for 60,000 years, they are not mentioned in the Australian Constitution.
Opponents of the popular vote proposal believed that the idea of amending the constitution would divide the nation and create a distinct social class whose members would be more equal than others, and that the advisory council would slow down the government decision-making process. On the other hand, supporters of the proposal argued that constitutional recognition of Aboriginal people would unite Australia and open a new chapter in the country’s history. At the same time, it would help overcome the inequalities faced by indigenous people.
“It is ironic that people who have lived on this continent for only 235 years do not wish to acknowledge those who have made this land their home for 60,000 years,” the referendum campaign leaders wrote in their statement. This was not the first time that an attempt had been made to enshrine the political rights of indigenous peoples in the constitution, and the last time they attempted to settle the issue by referendum was in 1999. Including the current constitution, they attempted to amend the Australian constitution 45 times, but only eight proposals were Successful.
