The leader of Australia’s opposition Liberal Party said it will hold a second referendum to recognize Indigenous people in the country’s constitution if the national vote on whether to incorporate an advisory body on matters affecting them fails on Oct. 14.
“I think it’s right and respectful to recognise Indigenous Australians in the Constitution, we will work with the Labor Party to find a common ground,” Peter Dutton, leader of the center-right party, told Sky News on Sunday morning. While he’s opposed to the Voice to Parliament, a campaign spearheaded by the ruling center-left Labor Party and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for the creation of a new advisory body, Dutton supports constitutional recognition of Indigenous people.
The Voice campaign proposes an advisory body composing a small number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Unlike some other former British colonies, Australia doesn’t have a treaty with its Indigenous population, collectively known as First Nations. “But enshrining a voice in the Constitution is divisive, it will divide the country down the middle, it will not provide practical outcomes,” Dutton said.
The Voice has come up against opposition from several sides, including some prominent Indigenous activists who view it as a threat to their deeply felt claim to sovereign status. The “No” campaign, which is supported by Dutton, says the proposal is too large a change to the constitution and will have legal repercussions, while making little practical difference to the lives of Indigenous Australians.
A poll by Essential Research in early August found support for the Voice to Parliament had slipped to 43%, with the “No” vote rising to overtake it at 47%. One in 10 voters said they were still undecided. Indigenous people have inhabited the Australian continent for more than 50,000 years, and now make up 3% of the population. On average, they have a life expectancy of 10 years shorter than the rest of the population.
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