Australian Prime Minister Accepts Blame for Failed Indigenous Recognition Referendum
SYDNEY, Oct 16 – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese takes responsibility for the failure of the recent referendum on Indigenous recognition. More than 60% of Australians voted “No” in the landmark referendum, which asked whether to alter the constitution to recognize the country’s Indigenous peoples and create an advisory body for parliament.
Albanese had fervently supported a “Yes” vote, despite opposition from the Liberal party. However, the referendum did not receive the necessary bipartisan support and ultimately fell short.
During parliamentary question time on Monday, Albanese faced Liberal leader Peter Dutton for the first time since the referendum. Albanese acknowledged the difficulty of passing referenda in Australia, with only eight out of 45 being successful in the country’s history. He stated, “I certainly accept responsibility for the decisions that I have taken.”
On the other hand, Dutton, who had previously backed a second referendum solely focused on recognizing Indigenous people in the constitution, seemed to withdraw his support. He stated that there would be no appetite for a second vote “for some time.”
Despite the setback, Albanese still leads as the country’s preferred leader, and his governing Labor party is currently polling above the level at which it won power in the 2022 election. Political analysts suggest that the unpopularity of the referendum has not had a significant adverse impact on Labor’s polling numbers.
The failure of the referendum is viewed as a major setback for reconciliation efforts with the country’s Indigenous community. It also poses the risk of damaging Australia’s international image concerning its treatment of Indigenous people. Sydney Morning Herald’s editorial called the outcome “extreme damage” that will hamper the cause of reconciliation.
The Australian Financial Review described the result as “heartbreaking” for the Indigenous community, which comprises approximately 3.8% of the country’s population. Indigenous communities in remote areas showed strong support for the referendum, in contrast to the rest of the country.
Alasdair Pal in Sydney contributed to this report, with additional reporting by Kirsty Needham. The article was edited by Stephen Coates and Gerry Doyle.
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Note: Alasdair Pal leads the team covering breaking news in Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific. He has extensive experience reporting on various topics, including the coronavirus pandemic in India and the economic crisis in Sri Lanka.