A bill to alter the constitution and enable the Indigenous voice has passed the federal parliament ahead of Australia’s first referendum in 24 years to be held later in 2023.
The Senate passed the bill on Monday 52 votes to 19, confirming the wording of the constitutional change to be put to the Australian people. The draft legislation passed the lower house last month.
The voice to parliament isn’t about race, it’s about ensuring that the traditional owners have constitutional right to advise parliament.
I have family in the yidingi in Cairns. It’s a separate nation, as are all the aboriginal nations.
There are many separate nations.
My family member was just last week asking me how the hundreds of other nations will all agree and find a common ground. I had no answer as, just like he said, there is no one aboriginal nation, rather many individual nations.
One group of people from a nation or two, or ten even, can’t make a decision for all aboriginal nations. That was his take anyway.
So he’s voting no.
I am not aboriginal. I don’t have full info on what the decision means. So I have no idea how I can vote either way.
Transparency is important. Inclusion of, and working with all aboriginal nations is also important.