Voice to parliament referendum fails in defeat that Indigenous advocates will see as a blow to progress towards reconciliation

Australians have resoundingly rejected a proposal to recognise Aboriginal people in its constitution and establish a body to advise parliament on Indigenous issues.

Saturday’s voice to parliament referendum failed, with the defeat clear shortly after polls closed.

    • Silverseren@kbin.social
      152·
      1 year ago

      Fair enough. I think every democracy needs to have the compulsory voting system that Australia does.

      The perceptual downside to the system though is that it definitively and accurately tells you out of the entire population the amount that are bigoted POS’.

      • Cypher@aussie.zoneEnglish
        92·
        1 year ago

        There were many ATSI people who voted no because they want treaty, not an advisory committee with no veto powers.

        Not everyone who voted no is racist and proclaiming they are is far more reminiscent of US divisive politics than how Australian politics works.

          • Cypher@aussie.zoneEnglish
            2·
            1 year ago

            For progressive no voters, that is correct.

            There is of course an element of society who want to ignore or bury any discourse on issues impacting ATSI Australians but they’re not the full picture either.

        • WeltEnglish
          72·
          1 year ago

          First person who’s bothered to try and understand the result rather than denouncing the country. The No campaign was deliberately divisive, like Abbott’s 2013 election or Howard’s manipulation of the republic referendum in 1999. Not only that, lack of political engagement and awareness - most embarrassingly from our most prominent left party, the Greens, who get so embroiled in internecine disputes that they seem not to really get what a political party does. The LNP may not be doing well at the moment but they’re a true coalition and trusted voting bloc.

          In short, people just don’t want to run headlong into progressive politics without thinking it through. We’re tired of government interference following years of lockdowns, don’t trust our state and federal governments because of repeated betrayal by the Morrison government and broken promises there and elsewhere, and Indigenous people were divided and made the perfect the enemy of the good.

        • LemmysMum@lemmy.worldEnglish
          71·
          1 year ago

          That’s why access to quality education is tantamount to functioning democracy.