Australia rejects historic referendum to recognise Indigenous people in the Constitution | WION

WION

16 Oct 202302:08

Summary

TLDRAustralians voted against a historic indigenous referendum, which aimed to grant greater political rights and recognize native groups in the Constitution. Despite 40% support, over 60% rejected the proposal for 'The Voice' to Parliament, marking the second national vote on indigenous recognition since 1999.

Takeaways

🗳️ A historic indigenous referendum in Australia was voted against by the majority.
📜 The referendum aimed to provide greater political rights to indigenous people and amend the Constitution.
🏛️ All six states in Australia voted 'no' to the proposal, which included recognizing indigenous groups and creating a body called The Voice.
🔢 Over 60% of voters were against the referendum, while nearly 40% were in favor.
📆 This was the second attempt at indigenous recognition, the first being in 1999.
💬 The Prime Minister expressed respect for the democratic decision, despite the outcome not being the hoped-for result.
🌏 The referendum was the first move of its kind in 50 years and was part of a peaceful democratic process.
🔍 The Voice was proposed to provide indigenous representation in Parliament, as outlined in a 2017 document by indigenous leaders.
🛣️ The objective was to create a roadmap for reconciliation between indigenous communities and the wider Australian population.
📊 Indigenous Australians make up only 3.8% of the country's population but have faced significant structural and policy issues.
📱 An app called Weon is now available for news updates in Australia.

Q & A

What was the purpose of the historic indigenous referendum held in Australia?
-The purpose of the historic indigenous referendum in Australia was to give greater political rights to indigenous people, including recognizing native groups and creating a body called 'The Voice' to advise the government.
What was the outcome of the referendum on the proposal to amend the Constitution?
-The proposal to amend the Constitution was rejected, with all six states in Australia voting 'no', and over 60% of the population voting against it.
What is 'The Voice' as mentioned in the script?
-'The Voice' is a proposed body intended to represent indigenous groups and advise the government on matters concerning them, as part of the constitutional amendment proposal.
How did the Australian Prime Minister respond to the referendum result?
-The Australian Prime Minister expressed respect for the decision of the Australian people and the democratic process, acknowledging that while the result was not what was hoped for, it was a peaceful and equal decision-making process.
What was the first attempt to address the issue of indigenous recognition in Australia?
-The first attempt to address the issue of indigenous recognition in Australia was in 1999, which was the first time such an issue was put to a national vote.
What does the term 'one vote, one value' signify in the context of the script?
-The term 'one vote, one value' signifies the principle of equal voting power for all citizens in the democratic process, regardless of their background or identity.
What is the demographic percentage of indigenous Australians in the total population?
-Indigenous Australians account for 3.8% of the total population of Australia.
What structural and policy-related issues have indigenous communities historically faced in Australia?
-Indigenous communities in Australia have historically faced a range of structural and policy-related issues, which they attribute to a lack of parliamentary representation.
What was the proposal's objective regarding the reconciliation of native communities with the wider population of Australia?
-The proposal aimed to lay out a roadmap for reconciliation between native communities and the wider population of Australia, ensuring greater political inclusion and representation.
When was the document proposing 'The Voice to Parliament' crafted by indigenous leaders?
-The document proposing 'The Voice to Parliament' was crafted by indigenous leaders in 2017.
What is the significance of the referendum being the first such move in 50 years?
-The significance of the referendum being the first such move in 50 years highlights the rarity and importance of this attempt to address indigenous rights and recognition in Australia's political landscape.

Outlines

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🗳️ Australia Rejects Indigenous Referendum

Australians have voted against a historic indigenous referendum aimed at granting greater political rights to indigenous people. The proposal, which would have led to a constitutional amendment recognizing native groups and establishing 'The Voice' to advise the government, was defeated in all six states with over 60% voting against it. This is the second time since 1999 that the issue of indigenous recognition has been put to a national vote. The Prime Minister expressed respect for the democratic process and the decision of the Australian people, despite the outcome not being what was hoped for. The Voice was proposed in 2017 by indigenous leaders as a means to foster reconciliation between indigenous communities and the wider population. Indigenous Australians, who make up 3.8% of the population, have historically faced numerous challenges due to alleged lack of parliamentary representation.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Indigenous Referendum

The term 'Indigenous Referendum' refers to a vote held to determine whether to grant greater political rights to indigenous people. In the context of the video, it is a historic vote in Australia that was intended to amend the Constitution to recognize indigenous groups and establish a body called 'The Voice' to advise the government. The video mentions that this was the second time such an issue was put to a national vote, with the first attempt being in 1999.

💡Political Rights

Political rights are the rights of individuals to participate in the governance of their country, including voting and running for public office. In the video, the referendum aimed to enhance these rights for indigenous Australians by giving them a more formal role in the political process through constitutional recognition and a representative body.

💡Constitutional Amendment

A 'Constitutional Amendment' is a formal change to the fundamental law of a country. The video discusses a proposal for such an amendment in Australia's Constitution to recognize indigenous groups and create 'The Voice,' which would be a significant step towards indigenous representation and reconciliation.

💡The Voice

In the script, 'The Voice' refers to a proposed body that would represent indigenous Australians and advise the government on matters affecting them. It is part of the constitutional amendment proposal, aiming to give indigenous people a direct line of communication with the government.

💡Reconciliation

Reconciliation is the process of establishing understanding and trust between different groups, often after a history of conflict or injustice. The video mentions a 2017 document crafted by indigenous leaders that aimed to lay out a roadmap for reconciliation between indigenous communities and the broader Australian population.

💡Indigenous Australians

Indigenous Australians are the native people of Australia, who have a history and culture that predates European colonization. The video highlights that they make up only 3.8% of the population and have historically faced various challenges due to what they perceive as a lack of representation in Parliament.

💡Structural and Policy Issues

Structural and policy issues refer to systemic problems within a society that are often embedded in its institutions and policies. The video notes that indigenous Australians have faced such issues, which have contributed to their lack of representation and other challenges.

💡Representation

Representation in this context means the act of having members of a particular group included in a decision-making body, such as a parliament. The video discusses the lack of parliamentary representation as a key concern for indigenous Australians, which the proposed 'The Voice' was intended to address.

💡Democratic Process

The 'Democratic Process' refers to the way in which decisions are made in a democratic society, typically involving voting by the citizens. The video script includes a statement from an Australian leader expressing respect for the democratic process that led to the referendum's outcome.

💡National Vote

A 'National Vote' is a decision-making process that involves the entire electorate of a country voting on a particular issue. The video script mentions that the issue of indigenous recognition was put to a national vote for the second time, indicating the significance of the matter to the nation.

💡Parliamentary Representation

Parliamentary representation is the presence and influence of certain groups or parties within a country's legislative body. The video discusses the perceived lack of such representation for indigenous Australians, which the proposed constitutional amendment aimed to address by creating 'The Voice'.

Highlights

Australia held a historic indigenous referendum over the weekend.

The referendum aimed to give greater political rights to indigenous people.

All six states in Australia voted against the proposal.

The proposal would have allowed a landmark amendment to the Constitution.

The amendment was to recognize groups native to Australia and create a body called 'The Voice'.

This was the first such move in 50 years.

Over 60% of voters rejected the proposal, while nearly 40% were in favor.

This was the second time the issue of indigenous recognition was put to a national vote.

The first attempt was in 1999.

The Australian Prime Minister expressed respect for the democratic process and the decision of the people.

The key provision of 'The Voice' was to provide an indigenous voice to Australia's Parliament.

'The Voice' was proposed in a 2017 document crafted by indigenous leaders.

The objective was to lay a roadmap for reconciliation between native communities and the wider population.

Indigenous Australians account for only 3.8% of the country's population.

Historically, indigenous communities have faced structural and policy-related issues.

The communities allege a lack of parliamentary representation as a major issue.

The news highlights the peaceful and equal nature of decision-making in Australia.

The news also mentions the availability of a news app for staying updated on the move.