Australia to vote on Indigenous constitutional amendment

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Thursday that the country will soon decide if Australia needs to alter its constitution to better recognize its Indigenous people.

In an emotional press statement, Albanese asked, "If not now, when?"

What is Australia's Indigenous 'Voice to Parliament' campaign?

The referendum will seek to amend the constitution and create a consultative committee in parliament called the "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice."

In Australia, the proposed committee has come be known simply as "the Voice."

This panel will provide non-binding advice to parliament on matters that affect the Indigenous community.

"This is a simple question, a matter from the heart," said Albanese as he announced the wording of the referendum question.

The vote is expected to be held between October and December.

The Indigenous community in Australia

The Indigenous community in Australia has been living on the continent for thousands of years, but were targeted with violence and oppression by European colonization.

For 122 years Australia's constitution has failed to recognize their voice on political and social issues.

The term "Great Australian Silence" was coined to describe an erasure of Indigenous perspectives and experiences from mainstream Australian history.

It was only in May 1967 that Australians voted to amend the constitution so that Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders could be counted as part of the population.

They make up about 3.2% of Australia's population but track below the national average on most socio-economic measures.

They also suffer disproportionately high rates of suicide and imprisonment.

Albanese said that establishing the panel was "the best chance" for Australia to address the injustices of the past.

"This referendum is an historic democratic opportunity for a unifying Australian moment," he said.

Opposition seeks details

The government will introduce the bill next week, hoping to pass it in parliament by the end of June.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton said that the government has not responded to his queries on how the consultative panel would function.

"We will decide in due course whether we support the Voice or oppose it," he said.

The rural-based National Party, which is the junior partner in the opposition coalition, has announced that it will oppose the Voice.

The left-wing Greens party and some independent lawmakers have promised their support.

A Guardian poll on Tuesday revealed that public support for the referendum was backed by a majority of 59% of Australians.

Since Australia's independence in 1901, there have been 44 proposals for constitutional amendments via 19 referendums. Only eight have been approved.

ns/es (DPA, Reuters, AP)