Image: PM Anthony Albanese at the Yes23 official campaign launch in Adelaide, August 30,2023. Photo: Mark Brake/AAP.
By ROBBIE MASON
Today Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the date for the Voice to Parliament referendum – 14 October.
On this day, Australian citizens will vote on whether to alter the Constitution to enshrine recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders by establishing an Indigenous advisory body that would guide the federal government on matters impacting Australia’s First Nations communities.
The Prime Minister confirmed the date at a Yes rally in Adelaide, officially kickstarting a 45-day campaign blitz in front of supporters.
“The idea for a voice came from the people and it will be decided by the people. Today I announce that referendum day will be 14 October,” Albanese told a packed theatre to loud cheers and applause.
Albanese used the opportunity to reiterate his support for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament and called for people to support the advisory board to parliament.
“On that day every Australian will have a once in a generation opportunity to bring our country together and to change it for the better,” he continued.
The country is historically conservative when it comes to constitutional reform. Only 8 of 44 referendums have succeeded since Federation.
Opinion polls indicate that the no vote has overtaken the yes vote in popularity in recent weeks. In July, support for the Voice to Parliament in NSW slipped to 49 percent, leaving the possibility of a state yes vote in a precarious position.
For the referendum to pass, it must be backed by a double majority. In other words, the yes campaign must win the majority of the national vote and a majority of states must vote yes overall. The votes of people living in the nation’s two territories count in the national vote but not in the state-by-state count.
The Australian Electoral Commission has urged voters to register and update their details on the electoral roll in order to be permitted to vote.
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