Referendum on indigenous representation in parliament splits Australia, opinion polls predict likely ‘no’ vote
A proposed plan will see a committee of 24 Aborigines from around Australia form an advisory body to represent the indigenous community in parliament, advising the government directly on laws and policies affecting them.

NEW SOUTH WALES: Australians will vote in a referendum on Saturday (Oct 14) to decide whether the First Nations people, or Aborigines, will get a voice in the country’s parliament.
If approved, a new Aboriginal body would be formed to advise the government directly on laws and policies affecting the indigenous community.
Opinion polls currently suggest that most Australians are against the idea, with the vote threatening to split the nation, dividing “yes” and “no” campaigners.
LACK OF DETAIL OVER PROPOSED PLAN
A proposed plan will see a committee of 24 Aborigines from around Australia form the advisory body’s voice in parliament.
However, it remains unclear who will appoint them, how much it will all cost, and how much power they might wield moving forward.
Such a lack of detail has driven the success of the “no” campaign, whose supporters fear the referendum could end up dividing Australia by race.
In Walgett, a country town some 650km from Sydney, around half the population are of indigenous descent, but most in the community do not support the proposal.
Mr Garry Trindall, chairperson of the Walgett Community Working Party, told CNA: “My honest opinion is that it won’t benefit the Aboriginal people and if it doesn’t benefit the Aboriginal people, it’s going to set us back 20 years.”
Mr Trindall, 67, has lived in the town for 43 years, and like so many First Nations people, remains distrusting of the big city movers and shakers who claim to understand and represent Aboriginal needs.
“As far as I’m concerned, we’ve had Aboriginal people representing us for years and they’ve achieved nothing. The only way that it’s going to work and the only way it’s going to achieve (something) is if it’s local people that are representing the local people,” he said.
The Aboriginal community is disadvantaged in terms of education, child mortality, domestic violence, and life expectancy. The life of inequality has driven many to bad health and lifestyles, often caused by alcohol and poor diet.
“It’s everywhere. It’s not just one town. Aboriginal people are treated unfairly everywhere we go. We turn to petty crime, like opportunistic theft from a local business,” a 19-year-old Walgett resident told CNA.
The challenging environment offers little hope for some in the community, and like many across Australia who also face rising living costs, they find the referendum far from their thoughts.

The Australian government has said the proposed advisory body would only make recommendations to parliament and not have any power of its own, but it has left “no” supporters unconvinced.
“I’m pretty certain the ‘no’ vote will get up, but I don’t think that’s the end of the conversation. I really think there needs to be more done to help out people in the remote areas that really need the help,” said a “no” campaigner.
Another campaigner who opposed the proposed plan told CNA at a “no” rally: “My people have come over a thousand kilometres today to show you that we don’t agree with this current agenda or referendum. That should be enough for you to make a decision.”
FOR RESPECT, RECOGNITION AND JUSTICE
Supporters of the referendum believe a “yes” vote would lead to better living conditions and opportunities for Australia’s First Nations people.
Mr Roy Ah-See, a descendant of the Wiradjuri nation, grew up near the New South Wales country town of Wellington, where he endured a poor and troubled early life growing up on welfare dependency with his mother, five sisters and two brothers.
“I always say that the biggest killer of Aboriginal people in this country is absolute poverty and welfare. And I think that’s why we need a voice, because a voice will empower or give our people a say over matters that affect them in the community,” said the “yes” campaigner.
Mr Ah-See, whose grandfather was Chinese and grandmother Aboriginal, has an ancestry typical of many Australians today.
He believes that one’s racial mix should not really matter these days, and hopes that Australians will vote “yes” on Saturday.
Many agree that the Aboriginal community that occupied Australia for more than 65,000 years, got a raw deal when it became a British colony in 1788.
Supporters of the proposed plans have been out in force for several weeks, dismissing concerns from the “no” lobby which fears the advisory body would give Aborigines a chance to influence decisions of executive government in virtually every department.

They have accused the “no” camp of spreading disinformation by suggesting First Nations people would challenge policy decisions and effectively make the country ungovernable.
“We’re going to vote ‘yes’ because we care about love, fairness and justice. That is what we’re waking up to on Sunday the 15th (of October). ‘Yes’ for love, ‘yes’ for respect, ‘yes’ for recognition, ‘yes’ to justice,” said Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young.
However, the “yes” camp faces a huge challenge, as history has shown that most referendums on constitutional changes have failed in the past.