The referendum “that Australia did not need to have” ended up dividing the nation, for no reason.
More than 60% of Australians have voted “No” in the referendum on Saturday 14th October 2023.
This referendum was asking for one answer to basically cover TWO questions.
- Whether to change the Australian Constitution to recognise the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people.
- Have an Indigenous advisory body, called the “Voice to Parliament”, that would apparently have its policies decided after the referendum.
How many people would have voted YES to question 1, and NO to question 2.
I personally would guess about 90% would be a “YES” to question 1.
My view is that there was no issue in the Constitution being changed to recognise the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people.
I feel that this referendum was handled very badly. Reminiscent of the original GST proposal with its famous “Cake comparison”.
Some Indigenous Members of Parliament wanted a treaty between the government and Indigenous people first, similar to that in New Zealand and Canada.
Some people thought that Indigenous people already had a “Voice in Parliament” through their elected Members of Parliament.
The Albanese government said that creating a “Voice in Parliament” would help improve shortfalls in life outcomes in Indigenous Australians, and would assist in increasing life expectancy, and reduce suicide rates and incarceration of the indigenous people.
Many individuals feel that the government could already implement policies to assist in this, if it is actually possible.
This statement has puzzled many people: Up until now, the government has made laws about First Nations people without any requirement to consult with them. If we change this, it will lead to better outcomes for Indigenous peoples and for the government. The Indigenous Voice to Parliament is a simple, practical way to achieve this.
Many people feel it would be simpler for the government to just consult with First Nations people, rather than have a referendum to decide if the Government should consult with First Nations people. It made many people suspicious about what it was really about.
Indigenous Members of Parliament.
The current Parliament (45th) currently includes five Indigenous parliamentarians.
As at 2023, Indigenous Australian Members of Parliament make up 4.8% of the total members, while Indigenous Australians make up just 3.3% of the population of Australia.
Some say the Indigenous Australians are well represented in Parliament, based on those numbers.