Australians vote in indigenous rights poll
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made a last-ditch appeal on Saturday for his fellow Australians to back a referendum to recognise Indigenous people in the constitution, as the country went to the polls to decide on the historic measure. "I sincerely hope that Australians, when they walk into that ballot box today, vote 'Yes'," Albanese said in Sydney, according to a transcript. Australians must write "Yes" or "No" on the ballot to the question whether they agree to alter the 122-year-old constitution to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people and create an Indigenous body, called the Voice to Parliament, that can provide advice to the government on Indigenous issues. A poll released on Saturday indicated the "No" vote is likely to succeed despite a late lift in support for "Yes". Academics and human rights advocates fear a win for the No camp could set back reconciliation efforts by years. Supporters of the proposal believe entrenching an Indigenous Voice into the constitution would unite Australia and usher in a new era with its Indigenous people, who account for 3.8 percent of the population and by most socio-economic measures are the most disadvantaged people in the country. Most Indigenous people favour the change, but some say it is a distraction from achieving practical and positive outcomes and would not fully resolve the issues affecting them. The political opposition says the measure is divisive, would be ineffective and would slow government decision-making. Polls opened at 8am, although more than 5 million people voted early. Voting is compulsory in Australia. Vote counting starts after polls close at 6pm, and the Australian Electoral Commission will release tallies as they come in. At Sydney's Bondi Beach, Indigenous man Michael Mahoney said he voted Yes for "equality for all people, and a voice from my people to be part of our constitution”. Nearby, Sydneysider Geoff Sumner said he voted Yes in the hope "this will make a difference and we can improve Aboriginal conditions all around". Another voter, Greg Mason, doubted the usefulness of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. "All it does is divide our nation," he said. Referendums are difficult to pass in Australia, with only eight of 44 succeeding since the country's founding in 1901. Constitutional change requires a majority of votes both nationwide and in at least four of the six states. (Reuters)