Australia’s Indigenous Voice referendum: What will it do and will it be approved?

Australia’s main opposition party on Wednesday decided to fight against the government’s model for constitutional recognition of Indigenous peoples in a development that looks set to damage the prospect of a successful referendum this year.

Bipartisan support from the main political parties is seen as a prerequisite for success, but MPs in the conservative Liberal Party say they will oppose the government’s proposal to bring a so-called Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton of the Liberals said MPs would prefer Indigenous people to be represented by regional and local leaders rather than entities in the national capital of Canberra. Senior Liberal MPs will campaign for a no vote, Dutton said.

“What I’m afraid of with Voice is that it will change our system of government forever and it will have no practical benefit for the people in the Indigenous community and it will be the worst thing in the world,” Dutton told reporters.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Liberal Party’s stance was making constitutional changes more difficult.

“This is not about me or Peter Dutton or any other politician,” Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. “It’s about Australia, how we see ourselves, do we give respect and recognize the fact that we share this great island continent with the oldest. continues culture on Earth, and do we have a process where we listen – we give voice to – Indigenous Australians.”

Australia’s Indigenous Minister Linda Burney, the first Indigenous woman to fill the role, stood by the wording of the referendum question, saying it was “very, very clear about the role of Parliament.” He is confident that the referendum will succeed.

A referendum is planned between October and December. Here are some questions and answers about the main issues behind the referendum:

Will it look like the Voice?

Parliament will make laws related to the Voice, “including its composition, functions, powers and procedures.”

Members of The Voice, it has been agreed, will be elected by Indigenous people and will serve on fixed terms. They will come from every state and territory of Australia as well as the Torres Strait islands and remote areas. Gender representation will be equal and Indigenous youth will be included.

Advocates say there should be no Indigenous veto over government policy. Opponents argue that courts can interpret Voice’s constitutional powers in unpredictable ways, creating uncertainty.

Who are the indigenous people of Australia?

Australia is unusual among former British colonies in that no treaties were signed with the country’s Indigenous population. The Aboriginal people of mainland Australia are culturally different from the Torres Strait Islanders who come from the archipelago on the northeast coast. So the Indigenous population of Australia is known collectively as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

They account for 3.2 percent of Australia’s population in the 2021 census. The number of indigenous people has increased by 25 percent since the previous census in 2016.

Indigenous Australians are the most disadvantaged ethnic group in Australia. Structural racism has contributed to Indigenous Australians dying at a younger than average rate, being less likely to be employed or in higher education and over-represented in the prison population.

LISTENING | More on the referendum to recognize Indigenous Australians in the constitution:

How are Voice proposals developed and accepted?

The Voice was suggested in 2017 by a group of 250 Indigenous leaders who met at Uluru, a sandstone rock in central Australia that is considered a sacred site. He was a delegate to the First Nations National Constitutional Convention, which was then asked by the government to advise on how the Indigenous population could be recognized in the constitution.

The conservative government at the time immediately rejected the proposal, arguing that the Voice would be seen as the “third chamber” of Parliament.

When Labor won the general election in May 2022, Albanese used his first speech to announce the creation of the Voice.

The National Party, which was the Liberals’ junior partner in the last coalition government, announced its opposition in November, saying it would divide Australia’s population along racial lines. It also shows that there are few Indigenous MPs in Parliament.

What is the track record in the Australian referendum?

Changing the Australian constitution is not easy. Of the 44 referendums held since 1901, only eight have been held, and none since 1977.

Critics question why the federal government did not legislate to create Swara without changing the constitution. South Australia at the state level in February introduced legislation to create Australia’s first Voice for Parliament for First Nations.

But supporters of the Voice argue that the recognition of Indigenous Australians federally in the constitution is an important element of reform.

Where is public sentiment on the issue?

A poll published in The Australian newspaper on Wednesday found that 54 percent of respondents supported the Voice’s proposition and 38 percent opposed. The poll is based on a survey of 4,756 voters between February 1 and April 3. It has an error of less than three percentage points.

Many suggest public support must be higher for the constitution to be changed.

How can a referendum be conducted?

The proposed referendum question only asks Australians if they agree with Voice in principle.

The latest draft of this question: “Proposed legislation: To amend the constitution to recognize First Nations in Australia by establishing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voices. Do you approve of these proposed changes?”

If the answer is Yes, the constitution will be rewritten to state that “Votes may make representations” to Parliament and the government “in matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”