A referendum on a new law to establish an Indigenous Voice to Parliament that will also recognize Indigenous people in the constitution will be held on October 14, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Wednesday. File photo by Bianca de Marchi/EPA-EFE
Aug. 30 (UPI) — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Wednesday that the nation will hold a landmark referendum in October on whether to grant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people political representation in parliament.
Albanese launched a “Yes” campaign for the Oct. 14 Indigenous Voice to Parliament vote which will ask voters whether the government should recognize Indigenous people in the constitution and establish an advisory committee of Indigenous Australians to “get better results” for them.
“The Voice is about advice. The parliament and government that Australians vote for in the normal way every three years will still be responsible for decisions and laws and funding. Just as it always has been,” said Albanese.
“With a Voice though, we’ll be able to hear directly from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities about the challenges they face in health and education, in jobs and housing, and we’ll be able to learn about the things that are working in local areas, so we can replicate them and make them work right around the country.”
Albanese appealed to Australians to vote for the proposal by saying what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people wanted for their children was the same as all Australians — healthcare, education good jobs, staying safe and leading fulfilling lives.
“That’s what they are asking you to say ‘Yes’ to at this referendum.”
Giving local people a say would also save money by ensuring state funding actually reaches the people on the ground, reducing waste and getting better results where they are needed, Albanese said.
A majority of Australians, 51% or more, need to vote yes for the to pass with majority support in four of Australia’s six states.
Most people acknowledge Indigenous Australians are disadvantaged by almost every measure, but disagree on how best to address the problem with the opposition Liberal Party spearheading a vote “No” campaign and actively fundraising for it.
Party leader Peter Dutton said the Voice proposal was dividing the country at a time when it needed to come together.
“Changing our Constitution to enshrine a Canberra Voice Bureaucracy will take our country backward, not forwards. The prime minister is dividing with his Voice proposal, not uniting us,” he wrote in a social media post.
The new law was born out of a 2017 document called the Uluru Statement from the Heart which states: “When we have power over our destiny, our children will flourish.”
Drafted by more than 250 Indigenous leaders, the statement, named for the sacred rock formation in Australia’s Red Center, is considered the most consensual call for reform of the way the administration of government affects First Nations Australians.
Australia is the only country in the Commonwealth that has yet to sign a treaty with its Indigenous people.
