More Australians will vote “no” than “yes” in a referendum on creating a separate parliamentary structure The Voice of Indigenous Peoples on October 14, though some respondents still have doubts, the latest Guardian Essential poll shows, Guardian Australia writes . on September 4.
The survey of 1,151 respondents followed the official launch of the Indigenous Voice campaign in Adelaide last week. Their results show that 48% of those surveyed intend to vote against the structure and only 42% in favor of its creation, while 10% are not sure. At the same time, at this stage, more respondents were “categorically against” (41%) than “categorically in favor” (30%).
A month earlier, 47% were against and 43% in favor; this was Guardian Essential’s first survey on this topic, when there were more opponents of the initiative than supporters. The latest polling data shows that the only group of voters where Voz Indígena has majority support are people between the ages of 18 and 34.
In a referendum, Australians will have to answer yes or no to the following question: “Proposed law: changing the Constitution to recognize the indigenous peoples of Australia by creating [федеральной парламентской структуры] Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice. Do you approve of this proposed change?”
Details of how the advisory body will look and function will only be determined by parliament after a successful vote on the constitutional amendment, so the body’s goals and powers have not been determined at this time. At the same time, the opposition has repeatedly criticized the ruling Australian Labor Party for failing to explain the rights and functions of the new body.
Recall that earlier the Australian Institute carried out a survey according to which the opinions of the country’s citizens on the issue of the referendum were divided almost in half, with a slight predominance of supporters of the creation of the Voice of Indigenous Peoples. At the same time, there is a clear age divide: people under 40 tend to vote for a new parliamentary structure, and the youngest more often, and people 40 and over are against it, and older, less frequently.
A subsequent Sydney Morning Herald poll found that support for the initiative had already fallen below 50% in five of six Australian states. There are opponents of the initiative among the natives, including in the federal and regional legislatures.
The current Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, further acknowledged the likelihood of a failed referendum based on Australia’s history of constitutional referendums and vowed not to defy the will of the people. At the same time, at the ruling party’s national conference, he called on his comrades in arms to “campaign like never before.”
Also read: Australia’s leader says only one of 48 Labor referendums so far has been successful
Source: Rossa Primavera
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