Australia will hold a historic referendum on Aboriginal rights on October 14 to give them a “voice” in parliament, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Wednesday, but the project divides the country and risks rejection, depending on the poll become.
“On this day, every Australian will have a unique opportunity to bring our country together and change it for the better,” the Labor Prime Minister said. “I ask all Australians to vote yes.”
If the project, launched several months ago, is adopted, Australian Aborigines, whose ancestors have lived on the continent for at least 60,000 years, will for the first time be recognized in the constitution and have the right to be consulted by the government about laws that affect their communities .
But with Yes supporters currently not leading in the polls, some fear a failure of the referendum would divide Australian society and damage the country’s reputation internationally.
“Voting no does nothing, it means nothing changes. “Voting no closes the door on this opportunity to move forward,” Albanese said, calling on his country to “rise to the challenge.”
“Don’t close the door on the next generation of Aboriginal Australians,” he said.
For Yes campaigners, reform could address the inequalities faced by Indigenous Australians.
For the Leader of the Opposition (Liberal) Peter Dutton, this reform would mean unnecessary bureaucracy. It was not “in the interest of our country,” he said.
Many Aboriginal people believe the proposal does not go far enough.
More than 200 years after British colonization and subsequent persecution of Aboriginal people, these populations suffer from severe economic and social inequalities and are more likely to be poor, undereducated, sick or incarcerated, according to the study.
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Mr Albanese said some polls showed 80% of Aboriginal Australians supported the project.
Conservative Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, an Aboriginal Australian and “No” campaigner, believes this referendum is “the most controversial” ever held in Australia.
“I think we’re all excited for this to end so we can get to the real work and address the real issues facing our country,” she told Ms. Albanese.
Initial opinion polls showed broad support for the reform, but according to pollster William Bowe this has weakened in recent months due to ongoing political disputes.
A poll conducted the day before Mr Albanese’s announcement showed the reform had little support in the key state of South Australia. In another survey conducted in Tasmania, early respondents leaned towards “no”.
To pass, the amendment to Australia’s constitution must receive a majority of votes across the country and in most of the eight states.
Former Conservative foreign minister Julie Bishop warned this week that a failure of the referendum would send a “very negative signal” to the rest of the world about Australia’s respect for the principle of equality.