An opinion poll showed that more than half of Australians would reject the idea of an Indigenous Committee starting its work in the country’s parliament. A referendum is scheduled for mid-October on the constitutional amendment, which will give the green light to the new body. However, a poll by The Australian newspaper showed that only 38% of voters intend to support him, while around 53% oppose him.
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Melbourne referendum campaign poster.
Photo: William West/AFP
The referendum requires a national majority and a majority of votes in at least four of the six states to change the constitution. Since Australia’s independence in 1901, only eight of the 44 proposed constitutional amendments have been approved in this way.
The center-left Labor government is under a lot of pressure at the moment, as its initiative is a draft aimed at greater Indigenous representation. The poll also showed that support for Anthony Albanese – who invested significant political capital in the referendum – fell into the negative range for the first time since he was elected prime minister last year.
(Reuters)
