Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament

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Context

• Australians have voted in a historic referendum.
• They have rejected a reform that would have changed its constitution for the first time in almost 50 years.

What was the referendum about?

• In this referendum, Australians were asked to vote on whether to establish an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament.
• The Voice was proposed as a means of recognizing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia in the Constitution.
• Had the referendum succeeded, Australia’s Constitution would have been amended with a new section 129: In recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia:
• there shall be a body, to be called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice
• the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice may make representations to the Parliament and the Executive Government of the Commonwealth on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• the Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws with respect to matters relating to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, including its composition, functions, powers and procedures.
• This proposal was drawn from the Uluru Statement from the Heart from 250 Indigenous leaders, which called for three phases of reform - Voice, followed by Treaty and Truth-telling about Australia’s colonial history.
• The proposal was for constitutional change to ensure the Voice would not be abolished by the government in future, as previous Indigenous bodies have been.

What happens now?

• The government is bound to abide by the referendum result.