Australia launches constitutional referendum on indigenous recognition
Australia’s Senate voted Monday to hold a referendum this year on creating an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, an advocate aiming to give the nation’s most disadvantaged ethnic minority more say on government policy.
Dozens of mainly Indigenous people stood up the public galleries and applauded when senators passed the referendum bill 52 votes to 19, according to AP.
The Senate vote means the referendum must be held on a Saturday in a two-to-six-month window.
Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney, the first Indigenous woman to hold the job, described the Senate vote as the “final hurdle” toward the referendum.
“Today the political debate ends. Today we can start a national conversation at the community level about what a Voice is, why it’s needed and how it will make a practical difference,” Burney told reporters.
While the Voice would advocate for Indigenous interests, it would not have a vote on laws, and debate for and against the elected body has become increasingly heated and divisive.
Proponents hope the Voice will improve living standards for Indigenous Australians, who account for 3.2% of Australia’s population and are the most nation’s most disadvantaged ethnic group.
If the referendum is passed, it would be Australia’s first successful referendum since 1977 and the first ever to pass without bipartisan support.