Australia is hosting a referendum on October 14 on whether the country’s indigenous people should be given a vote in parliament. This was announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the night from Tuesday to Wednesday report various Australian media. If the population votes in favour, a special committee is set up. It will advise MPs on political decisions that affect the lives of the country’s original inhabitants. The exact composition of the committee will only become clear after the referendum.
Read also: Australia’s prime minister wants referendum on reconciliation with Aboriginal people
The idea is that Aborigines themselves can choose who will represent them in such a committee. Giving Indigenous Peoples a parliamentary role would require an amendment to the Australian Constitution. Australians also vote in the referendum to recognize Aboriginal people as the original inhabitants of the country. A majority of the population and states must vote in favor of that constitutional amendment. A constitutional anchoring of the political voice of indigenous peoples means that subsequent governments cannot simply reverse those rights through an amendment to the law.
Labor Prime Minister Albanese has called on people to vote in favor in Australia’s first referendum in more than 20 years. He promised a “more united Australia, with more opportunities for all”. On October 14, “every Australian will have a unique opportunity to bring our country together and change it for the better,” Albanese said. The announcement of the plebiscite is the preliminary outcome of a heated debate. The Conservative opposition is opposed and will be campaigning for a ‘No’ vote in the coming weeks.
#Australia #holds #referendum #Aboriginal #parliamentary #representation