Australia voted in a referendum on more political voice for the indigenous population. The majority voted against the constitutional amendment.
In Australia, a historic referendum on more voice for the indigenous population failed. Voters have spoken out against a constitutional change, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said on Saturday. The government will respect this result. The aim of the reform was to give Indigenous Australians the constitutional right to be consulted on laws that affect them.
According to the Electoral Commission, more than 17 million people registered for the referendum – more than ever before for a referendum. Polls showed that the plan would not find a majority.
Emotional appeal
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made an emotional appeal to voters on Saturday, urging them to right a wrong in history. “This week, of all times, when there is so much hate in the world, this is an opportunity for Australians to show kindness,” he said. The vote is about respect for indigenous peoples. It’s about “how we see ourselves as a nation, but also how the world sees us,” Albanese said.
Opponents of the reform, including the conservative opposition, warned about special privileges for the indigenous population.
It is estimated that Australia’s indigenous people, known as Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, have populated the continent at least 60,000 years ago. After the arrival of the first British settlers in the late 18th century, they were oppressed and discriminated against. To this day, they have a lower life expectancy than their non-Indigenous compatriots, are less educated and die more often in police custody. (APA/dpa)