Australians Oppose Indigenous Advisory Panel
Over 50% of Australians are against the idea of incorporating an Indigenous advisory panel into the country's constitution, according to a recent survey conducted by The Australian newspaper. This finding comes as the government grapples with the challenge of gaining public support for this significant initiative in the lead-up to a critical vote scheduled in approximately six weeks.
The latest Newspoll commissioned by The Australian demonstrates a declining trend in support for a “Voice to Parliament,” which entails establishing an Indigenous committee tasked with offering advice to the national Parliament on matters that affect Indigenous communities. The survey reveals that only 38% of voters currently intend to back this proposal.
Australia is on the brink of a six-week campaign leading up to the referendum scheduled for October 14th. During this time, citizens will be asked to decide whether they support amending the constitution to establish an Indigenous advisory committee for the federal parliament.
For this referendum to succeed, it will require not only a national majority of votes but also majorities in at least four out of the six states. In the history of Australia since gaining independence in 1901, only eight out of 44 proposed constitutional changes have been approved.
The center-left Labor government is facing mounting pressure to refine its messaging strategy as public opinion polls continue to reflect dwindling support for the referendum.
The survey results also highlight a dip in approval ratings for Anthony Albanese, who has invested significant political capital in championing the Indigenous recognition referendum. This marks the first time since his assumption of office as the country's prime minister last year that his approval ratings have fallen into negative territory.
Despite these challenges, the Labor Party still maintains a lead of 53-47% on a two-party preferred basis, though this has slipped from 55–45% in the previous poll. Meanwhile, the conservative coalition opposition has seen an increase in support, reaching its highest level since the May 2022 election, with 37% of primary votes compared to Labor's 35%.
Over the weekend, the leader of the opposition, Peter Dutton, announced his intention to hold a second referendum on Indigenous recognition if the initial Voice referendum fails. However, he clarified that he would not endorse the establishment of a constitutionally enshrined Indigenous body, a stance that has drawn criticism from supporters of the Voice proposal. In response, Albanese accused Dutton of planning a sequel while actively working to undermine the original referendum effort.
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