Unlike New Zealand and Canada, Australia has no treaty with its Indigenous people, who make up about 3.2 per cent of its population of 26 million. Indigenous groups were marginalised by British colonial rulers and are not mentioned in Australia’s 122-year-old constitution.
Despite backing from sports stars and celebrities, support for the proposal has slumped in recent months, with respondents in a poll last week saying the vote distracted from issues like the cost of living and housing.
Some critics have described the Voice as tokenism and toothless.
A campaign volunteer for the “no” vote, Ken Harris, said he was concerned about policy changes that might come should the proposal be vote in.
“Noel Pearson, one of the advocates for the ‘yes’ side, has said this, ‘the Voice, is just the first door’ so it’s what else is behind the door that worries me a great deal,” Harris said.
“I don’t like to see the country divided according to race,” he said. “I think we all should be equal Australians, equal in every respect and not have a special carve out for one particular race.”
Altering the constitution in Australia is notoriously difficult and only eight referendums have passed since 1901 when it became a country.
The proposal must get a majority of votes nationwide and at least four of the six states must back the change.
Source: CNA
