Australia to hold Indigenous rights referendum on Oct.14

ANKARA

Australia will hold a defining Indigenous rights referendum on Oct. 14 to recognize the role of the country's Aboriginal minorities in the Constitution.

“On that day, every Australian will have a once-in-a-generation chance to bring our country together,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement as he announced the date for the historic and mandatory vote.

“Oct. 14 is our time. It's our chance. It's a moment calling out to the best of our Australian character,” he went on to say.

Dubbed as "Voice to Parliament," If the vote passed, Indigenous Australians – whose ancestors have lived on the continent for at least 60,000 years – would get a constitutional right to advise the parliament on policies related to them, for the first time in nation's history.

“The Voice will deliver better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians," Albanese said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

“And we've just announced that on October 14, you'll have the chance to vote for it,” he added.

The draft Constitution Alteration (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice) 2023 was passed on June 19, clearing the way for a vote to form an Indigenous body that would advise on legislation and policy affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The move has its share of supporters and critics across Australia’s political spectrum, leaving its future uncertain.

Who are Australia’s Indigenous people?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are the “First Peoples of Australia,” known to have inhabited the continent for more than 65,000 years.

Aboriginal people mostly live on the Australian mainland and Tasmania, while the Torres Strait Islander people are settled on the islands of the Torres Strait, which lie between Australia and Papua New Guinea.

The Torres Strait Islands are now part of the Australian state of Queensland. There are over 600 different Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, and each group has its own unique culture, customs, and traditions.

Since the colonization of Australia by British settlers in 1788, the Indigenous people have faced immense hardships, ranging from the loss of traditional culture and homelands to the forced removal of children and denial of citizenship rights, according to the Australian Human Rights Commission.