Australians have resoundingly rejected a proposal to recognise Aboriginal people in its constitution and establish a body to advise parliament on Indigenous issues.

Saturday’s voice to parliament referendum failed, with the defeat clear shortly after polls closed.

    • canuckkat@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Also, from the article:

      Opposition to the voice seized on this ambiguity, adopting a campaign slogan of “if you don’t know, vote no”.

      • anarchotaoist@links.hackliberty.org
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        1 year ago

        That is the slogan contracted for brevity. The context is, if you do not know, and none of us do as their is NO detail, then do not give the government a blank cheque. People are rightfully cautious about government and possibly giving it more power.

        • vantlem@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          At NO point has there ever been no detail about this. It is an advisory body to Parliament. When Parliament is making decisions, it can seek advice from this Indigenous-focused body. It is that simple. But by having the Murdoch press and Liberal government shovel this “ohhh but but but there’s no detail!” line over and over and over again, people started to believe it. For no fucking reason, since the purpose of the Voice has been clear since day 1.

        • Ilandar@aussie.zone
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          1 year ago

          and possibly giving it more power.

          Did you read the constitutional amendment? The advisory body had no power.

    • Ilandar@aussie.zone
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      1 year ago

      It won’t change until Australians learn about, and accept, the real history of their country. Many No voters fundamentally do not understand the simple point you are making about colonisation and sovereignty. To them, Indigenous Australians are just another minority group. People do not understand why they are inherently different and special when we are talking about these issues.

      • liamwb@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        I just learned about the native police the other week. I can’t believe that we didn’t learn about that shit at school! Honestly our education system is so inadequate that I can hardly blame such No voters.

    • Seudo@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Wot? Absolutely nothing stoping parliament from listening to the numerous recommendations that would improve the standard of living or life expectancy of indigenous people. Why would you think a few token lines in the constitution will change that?

      • WaxedWookie@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Because they’ll have an official body they’ll be dismissing rather than one of many groups, which aren’t always unified - it forces nothing, but does give a go-to body that the government will need to take an optical hit to ignore.

        The constitutional amendment helps because the deserve recognition, and because it stops the next government disbanding the body.