Australia’s Indigenous Voice referendum
- October 14, 2023
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Australia’s Indigenous Voice referendum
Subject: IR
Section: Places in news
Context: Australians will vote in a referendum on October 14 to decide whether the country’s indigenous peoples should be formally consulted in making laws
More about the news:
- On October 14, Australians will participate in a historic referendum that seeks to determine whether the nation should formally engage its indigenous communities in the legislative process.
- This upcoming referendum marks the first time in nearly a quarter-century that a national constitutional amendment is being considered.
- The central issue at the heart of this referendum is the recognition of Indigenous people and the establishment of a representative body empowered to offer advisory opinions to the parliament.
Who are the ‘First Peoples of Australia’:
- The native inhabitants of Australia and its neighbouring islands are collectively referred to as the ‘First Peoples of Australia’ or ‘aboriginals.’
- These individuals have lived on these lands for countless millennia prior to the arrival of Europeans in the early 17th century.
What is the need of this referendum:
- The Aboriginals find no mention in Australia’s 122-year-old Constitution.
- Aboriginal people make up about 3.2% of Australia’s population and track below national averages on most socio-economic measures.
- According to a government booklet containing information that would help people make the choice on whether to support or reject the vote, indigenous Australians have:
- A life expectancy 8 years shorter than non-Indigenous Australians;
- Worse rates of disease and infant mortality;
- A suicide rate twice as high as non-Indigenous Australians.
How did the Australian government’s policies impact indigenous people
- Historical laws and policies, enacted by colonial settlers, marginalised indigenous communities, leading to disparities in education and life expectancy.
- The infamous “Stolen Generation” involved the forced removal of indigenous children from their families, causing lasting trauma.
- Recent legislative changes have aimed to address these injustices, including voting rights in 1962 and acknowledgment of native title in 1992.
- In 1997, the “Bringing Them Home” report shed light on the Stolen Generation, prompting official apologies and recognition from the Australian government.
Why then does the referendum appear likely to fail:
- For the referendum to be passed, more than 50 per cent of voters must vote in favour nationally, plus the majority of voters in the majority of Australian states.
- Any constitutional alterations in Australia require a national referendum in which voting is compulsory for all adults.
- Opposition parties like the Liberal Party and the Nationals have expressed reservations about the referendum.
- The ‘No’ campaign argues that the proposed body’s specifics, including member composition and powers, remain unclear.
- Critics claim that a ‘Yes’ vote might deepen racial divisions within Australian society.
- Some Indigenous groups reject the proposed consultative body, viewing it as toothless, and instead advocate for a formal treaty to transfer substantial power from the government to Indigenous people.