Australia sets stage for landmark Indigenous rights referendum
Al JazeeraJun 08, 2023
Australians Vote 'No' in Historic Indigenous Rights Referendum
Image copyright: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images
The Facts
On Saturday, Australia overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to amend the Constitution to recognize First Nations people and create a new advisory body to the federal parliament and government.
This comes as Australians voted in the country's first referendum in nearly a quarter of a century, dubbed "The Voice," with a national majority as well as majorities in four of six states being required for the proposal to be successful.
The Spin
Left narrative
Australia's First Nations people have endured generations of discrimination, exclusion, and outright theft. The referendum was a way to try and unite the country, but it failed due to a misinformation campaign that steered the debate away from the core issues. The result damages Australia's image in the world regarding how it treats Indigenous people.
Right narrative
A Yes vote for the Indigenous Voice referendum — a distraction from achieving practical and positive outcomes — would have let politicians widely seen as untrustworthy to create the set of rules governing the body while dividing Australians along racial lines without actually reducing Indigenous disadvantage and marginalization.