Australia votes 'no' to Indigenous Voice

Australia says 'no' - 13th November 2023

Australians had a national vote about indigenous communities. Indigenous peoples have been in Australia for over 60,000 years. The government wanted the people to decide if these communities should have a place in the country's constitution.

Australia's government wanted to create a group of indigenous people called 'The Voice'. It would help parliament make national decisions.

At first, most Australians supported this idea, but during the national vote, most people voted 'no'. The Voice only received support from Australia's Capital Territory and 80 percent of indigenous peoples.

Australia's indigenous communities experience extreme poverty and limited access to healthcare services. Supporters of The Voice say that it could advise Parliament about these issues and help to fix them.

After the results, some people blamed social media. They believe other governments used it to change public opinion. Many voters became worried about The Voice's role in the lawmaking process. They also worried that this would cause racial division.

It's possible that The Voice may be formed in the future. Similar groups existed in the past, but the last group was cancelled by the government in 2019. The 2023 vote was unsuccessful. But the government hopes to find a way to include indigenous communities in Australia's decision making process.