In the historic referendum, a clear majority of Australians voted against giving Indigenous people greater political say in the future. According to preliminary results, about 58 percent of respondents said “no” on Saturday, as the election commission announced after counting more than half of the votes.
The majority of the six states also spoke out against the project, which failed.
Albanians want to put an end to divisions in society
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese admitted defeat in the evening (local time) and said in an emotional speech that the result must be respected. But he will continue to work towards reconciliation with Indigenous people and an end to the divide in Australian society, the 60-year-old said.
Aboriginal people have a say
The so-called voting referendum was about whether Aboriginal people should have a constitutional right to have a say in parliament in the future. If this was successful, a committee of their choosing would in the future have advised Parliament on issues directly affecting indigenous people.
The conservative opposition in particular mobilized en masse against the project. But there were also opponents among the indigenous population who felt that the plans did not go far enough.
Considered the oldest surviving culture in the world, Aboriginal people have inhabited the continent for more than 65,000 years. After the colonization of Australia, they did not receive civil rights until 1967. Today, about four percent of Australia’s approximately 25 million people identify as Indigenous. Australia’s indigenous people continue to be severely disadvantaged today.
Source: Krone
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