Voice has ‘got a future’, one year from referendum loss
On the first anniversary of the Indigenous voice referendum defeat, campaigners say they’re still hopeful of constitutional change in years to come.
Indigenous leaders remain confident Australia will enshrine an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice to parliament in the constitution, one year on from the referendum defeat.
More than 60 per cent of Australians voted ‘no’ in the referendum on October 14, 2023, with every State and Territory – aside from the ACT – rejecting the proposal, which would have established a permanent advisory body and constitutional recognition of First Nations people.
Despite the defeat, Indigenous campaigner Thomas Mayo, who was among the leading ‘yes’ vote advocates, said constitutional change could still take place down the track.
“There’s still a future that includes Indigenous people in the constitution. Sure, in reality it’s not going to happen again for a while,” he told ABC radio on Monday.
AAP