Australia has a choice: A referendum is about more say for the indigenous population. In recent polls, a majority – including indigenous people – is against the constitutional amendment.
On the waterfront of Cairns in north-eastern Australia: the mood for the referendum is mixed among passers-by strolling along here: “I’ll probably vote ‘No’. Mainly because we don’t understand exactly what we’re voting for – what the ‘ Yes” leads,” says one. “I will vote ‘yes’ to have indigenous people recognized by the constitution. It’s long overdue,” said another passer-by.
When the Australian constitution was written in the 19th century, the colonial power Great Britain ignored the indigenous people. As if she had never existed. The aim of the referendum is to expand the constitution by one paragraph and to take into account the rights of the indigenous people who have lived in Australia for tens of thousands of years.
Two men sit on the Cairns waterfront and play guitar. You want to vote “yes”. Even if they think, like many here, that it won’t improve the lives of the indigenous people: it’s a waste of time because the new committee can be ignored.
panel against disadvantage indigenous peoples
The referendum is about the so-called “Voice to Parliament” – translated a voice in parliament. A body that can make non-binding recommendations. Indigenous people should be able to have a say, for example with new laws that affect their lives.
Indigenous people are still disadvantaged in many areas of society. They have poorer job opportunities, die earlier and are in prison more often. The so-called indigenous voice in parliament should change that, says constitutional lawyer Gabrielle Appleby. She helped draft the text for the referendum.
“The numbers are a wake-up call to all Australians that we need to change something. We’ve been trying for decades, nothing has worked so far. If you consult and work with the people who are affected by politics on the ground, especially in disadvantaged areas , you get better results in the long run,” says Appleby.
“Policy has failed in relation to First Nations”
Indigenous Jacinta Barragud hopes that the referendum will be successful. She is Torres Strait Islander and sits with her family on a park bench on the waterfront. “For me, it’s all about recognition. Not just for today, but for future generations, that it makes things a little bit better for them – especially in the areas of health, education, justice,” says Barragud.
For this reason, the Greens also support the proposal of the ruling Labor party. Large posters with the slogan “Yes” hang in the windows of David Shoebridge’s office. His party supports the “Yes” campaign.
“We’re looking at more than two decades of failing First Nations policies. We can’t just carry on and pretend things are changing. Now is the opportunity,” Shoebridge said.
Majority against body – including indigenous people
However, the representatives of the “No” campaign are currently louder – and more successful. In the meantime, a narrow majority is against the constitutional amendment in polls. Also because even well-known indigenous people want to vote against it, like conservative MP Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who explains in a video: “I will vote ‘no’ – because it will not unite us, but divide us.”
Similarly, the indigenous former Labor Party president argued in a “No” campaign: “Not the government, not ‘The Voice’, only you can change something in your life.”
Another narrative of the critics is that the voice in parliament is too weak. The indigenous people deserve better. Or it is said that the referendum threatens democracy and the constitution. The indigenous people should look for jobs instead of sitting in a corner drinking and unemployed. Farmers express fear that the indigenous people could reclaim their land from them. The “No” campaign spreads uncertainty and false information.
First referendum since 1999
The constitutional lawyer and professor at the University of New South Wales, Gabrielle Appleby, has been following the political process since 2016: “Our hope is that the information campaign surrounding the referendum will still reach those people who do not yet feel sufficiently informed to understand what it’s really about.”
The forthcoming referendum is Australia’s first since 1999. Out of 44 proposed constitutional amendments, only eight were passed in referendums.