The New Referendum: Australia rejects the indigenous community

Imagine living in a time where a person’s background and identity are being wiped off the map. Suppose an indigenous person was living in Australia in 1803. In that case, any memories or cultural artifacts belonging to that person’s life are out of the picture as no one will acknowledge them. Any land that was once theirs is now gone forever. Those who choose to wipe away any identity from the indigenous people also decide to wipe away any languages that symbolize who they are. Through these actions, the Indigenous people of Australia experience high levels of exclusion, bigotry, and unfair treatment. Two hundred twenty years later, nothing has truly changed. Votes from the Australian people demonstrate how these practices have become commonplace within modern-day society. 

In 2023, Australians were recently allowed to vote in an indigenous referendum. This referendum would question whether or not the Australian constitution needed to be changed to give indigenous Australians more wiggle room in the country’s politics. Essentially, the Referendum would give any indigenous Australians a larger voice in parliament and the executive government of the Commonwealth. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese asked the question regarding the change in the constitution. Even though this idea was passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate, many people still voted against the referendum. One can only wonder if the people who voted no are living in the past.

With only a one-syllable word, Australian voters diminished the chance for any large-scale change of the constitution. Based on the early results from Australia’s Electoral Commission, it would appear that a majority of the votes had the answer no. Some experts say that this move will only worsen matters for years. After the referendum, it seems there is no chance that anyone wants to improve the following document for Indigenous Australians. Then again, this campaign is a matter of perspective. Some people behind the No Vote tried to instill fear that the vote for a constitutional change would separate races. Also, some Indigenous community members didn’t want to be part of a document where they would receive government advice on how to live. 

Ultimately, this result is seen as a significant setback for the country and may affect other future referendums for years to come. Some people only want to maintain the status quo forever and do not consider other alternatives that would promote a better standard of living for indigenous Australians. Anthony Albanese blames himself for the referendum’s failure to make any progress. There is more information in the video and article below.

Reuter’s Article on the Referendum

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australias-parliament-set-meet-after-indigenous-referendum-failure-2023-10-16/