Since Australian independence in 1901, only eight of the 44 proposals for constitutional change have been approved.
Support has slid to 43% in the latest survey, down from 46% in August with voters in New South Wales and Victoria, Australia’s most populous states, shifting against the proposal.
The ‘No’ vote is strongest in Queensland and Western Australia with 61% set to reject the Voice.
The referendum debate has divided opinions with supporters arguing the Voice will bring progress for the Aboriginal community, recognise the 65,000 year-old culture and “unite the nation”. Opponents say it would be divisive and hand excessive powers to the body, while others have described it as tokenism and toothless.
Making up about 3.2% of Australia’s near 26 million population, the Aboriginal people were marginalised by British colonial rulers and are not mentioned in the 122-year-old constitution.
I’m most likely voting no because to me, and the indigenous people I’ve asked, it just looks like virtue signalling that will bring no change and will arguably mean no change is going going to happen any time soon if it passes because then we can act like we did something.
All it guarantees is that someone can give advice on indigenous issues to parliament. Not who that someone is or how they get chosen. Not how many people it can be made up of and how long they can serve for. The kicker is that it doesn’t even guarantee that parliament will listen. It holds literally no power.
If it guaranteed some power that I thought would actually make life better for indigenous people - some senate seats, a veto ability on policy that would affect indigenous people or something, etc - I’d vote yes in a heartbeat.
Unfortunately many people are trying to paint everyone that is going to vote no as a racist old white person. They also say that “over 80% of indigenous people support it” while quoting a survey of only 700 people.