After a bill authorising the referendum cleared the Senate this morning, Australians will vote on an Indigenous Voice to parliament this year.
Following a series of moving speeches for and against the Voice, the law was approved 52–19.
Even though Opposition Leader Peter Dutton opposes the Voice itself, in the end, the referendum measure was backed by both the Labour administration and the opposition led by the Liberals.
Australians will be asked in the referendum if a constitutional advisory body for Indigenous Australia should be established.
Although it won’t have any legislative authority or veto power over laws passed by the parliament, the committee may nevertheless provide advise on matters that have an impact on Indigenous populations.
The referendum, according to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, had been planned for years and would give Australians the chance to make history.
“I tell my fellow Australians that while legislatures enact laws, history is created by people.
You have the possibility to contribute to making history at this time.
It will be a time for national harmony and a chance to further strengthen our country, according to Albanese.
The purpose of this change is not to undermine the 122 years of our democracy.
As the solicitor general makes clear in his written opinion, it improves that system.
Albanese did not give a specific date for the referendum but has stated that it will occur in the final three months of this year.
The date must be disclosed with at least 33 days’ notice, just as a federal election.
Albanese predicted that the referendum would ultimately be successful but acknowledged that the campaign would be challenging.
Today is a crucial day, according to Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney.
The Constitution Alteration Bill was approved by the Senate today without any changes. This is the last obstacle before a referendum on constitutional recognition through a Voice may be held later this year, according to Burney.
“It’s on. We have made progress in recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the constitution of our country.
“We are getting closer to providing Indigenous Australians a voice and addressing their concerns. One step closer to Australia’s unification and making a wonderful nation even better.
The Australian people could trust that the amendments put up in the referendum were constitutionally sound, according to Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus.
No harm, only good can result from this referendum, according to Dreyfus.
The Australian people now have the responsibility to seize the chance presented by the Uluru Statement from the Heart in 2017, an opportunity for our country to do better, to unite, and to move towards a better future.
Assistant Minister for Native Americans
Several senators spoke on the Senate Voice during the bill’s unusual third reading in the Senate.
Malarndirri McCarthy, a senator for Northern Territory Labour, claimed that supporting the Voice also meant supporting a “better future.”
“Yes,” she responded when asked if she supported giving First Nations people the power to advise Parliament and the executive on policies affecting them and solicit their feedback.
In reality, research polling across the nation has shown that the majority of First Nations people support this outcome in this debate.
Jacinta Price, a shadow minister for indigenous affairs, called the measure “dangerous and expensive” and said it would divide Australians.
The Voice, according to independent senator Lidia Thorpe, is a “powerless advisory body” that will not achieve Indigenous sovereignty in Australia.
