‘Voice to Parliament’: All about Australia’s historic Indigenous referendum

Sometime between October and December this year, Australians expect to vote in an historic referendum to decide whether the country's marginalized Indigenous communities should have a say in Parliament.

In March, the government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese introduced a bill for a vote to recognize the Indigenous people in the constitution and set up the "Voice to Parliament."

The draft Constitution Alteration (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice) 2023 was passed on June 19, clearing the way for a vote to form an Indigenous body that would advise on legislation and policy affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The move has its share of supporters and critics across Australia's political spectrum, leaving its future uncertain.

As Australia heads to its first referendum in decades, here are some key points to understand the crucial vote:

WHO ARE AUSTRALIA'S INDIGENOUS PEOPLE?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are the First Peoples of Australia, known to have inhabited the continent for more than 65,000 years.

Aboriginal people mostly live on the Australian mainland and Tasmania, while the Torres Strait Islander peoples are settled on the islands of the Torres Strait, which lie between Australia and Papua New Guinea.

The Torres Strait Islands are now part of the Australian state of Queensland. There are over 600 different Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, and each group has its own unique culture, customs, and traditions.

Since the colonization of Australia by British settlers in 1788, the Indigenous people have faced immense hardships, ranging from the loss of traditional culture and homelands to the forced removal of children and denial of citizenship rights, according to the Australian Human Rights Commission.

The Healing Foundation, an Australian organization that works for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, has documented how tens of thousands of children were forcibly removed by authorities from Indigenous families between 1910 and 1970 under government policies.

Their population was reduced by 90% between 1788 and 1900 due to epidemic diseases, displacement from traditional lands, violent conflict with colonizers, and slave-like work conditions.

Under such policies, children were taken away from their families and forced to assimilate into white society, while their parents were not allowed to meet them at all.

To this date, Indigenous people face discrimination, poor health and education outcomes, and high incarceration rates.

Though they account for just about 4% of the country's population, they represent more than a quarter of the adult prison population in Australia, according to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

They were denied First Nations status for several reasons, with the primary being the concept of "terra nullius," or land belonging to no one, which was used by the British to justify their colonization of Australia.

This concept denied the existence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their sovereignty over their land.

From the late 19th century to the mid-20th century, the Australian government implemented policies aimed at forcibly assimilating Indigenous people into white Australian society.

These policies also included the prohibition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and customs.

THE IDEA

A push for the constitutional change started in 2017 with the Uluru Statement from the Heart, a petition endorsed by over 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups, as well as by a number of non-Indigenous organizations.

That was the culmination of many years of work by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who have been campaigning for a greater say in Australian politics.

The previous government had rejected the call, but it was back in the spotlight when Labor and Albanese took over in May last year, with the premier conveying his support for the idea in his first speech.

PROPOSAL AND POWERS

The latest draft of the referendum question is: "A proposed law: To alter the constitution to recognize the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this proposed alteration?"

If supported by more than 50% of the total voters, the Australian Constitution would be rewritten and the process to establish the Voice would kick off.

The Voice would be an independent and permanent body that would advise the Parliament and government on all matters related to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Its members would be chosen by the Indigenous community and have the power to make representations to the Parliament and government.

There will be equal representation of genders on the body, while Indigenous youths would also be included.

The Voice would not have the authority to make laws or veto government decisions.

REFERENDUM RULES

The Australian Constitution can only be amended by a referendum, which is why the vote was necessary to set up the Voice.

As per constitutional provisions, voting must happen within a timeframe not less than two months, or more than six, after the related bill is passed by Parliament.

The current estimate for the vote is that it will likely take place between October and December.

In Australia, voting is compulsory for all citizens age 18 and above.

SUPPORT AND OPPOSITION

Prime Minister Albanese has hailed the referendum as a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

The left-wing Greens party, several independent lawmakers, and religious and welfare organizations are also supporting the vote.

The center-right Liberal Party of Australia is against the idea, with its leader Peter Dutton accusing Albanese of dividing the country.

The Indigenous community itself is split over the proposal.

Lidia Thorpe, a prominent politician who is the first Aboriginal senator from the state of Victoria, is firmly opposed to the idea.

Last month, she told reporters that the Indigenous people "do not want to be part of the colonial constitution and the attempt to rule over us and our land," according to a report by public broadcaster SBS News.

"We don't accept any colonial mechanism that continues to control us, which is what the Voice ultimately is a part of. It has no power, it will be controlled by the Parliament," she was quoted as saying.

Local media reports indicate backing for the referendum is sliding in Australia, with a poll last month by The Sydney Morning Herald showing support was down to 49%, slipping from 53% in May.