Vote for Aboriginal Peoples in Parliament: Australia Plans Referendum

“It will read: A proposed constitutional amendment to recognize Australia’s First Peoples by creating an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice. Do you agree with this proposed amendment?” Albanese studied on Thursday. During his speech, he spoke with tears in his voice at times. Many tribal representatives were also crying. “A lot of people have been waiting for this moment for a very long time,” Albanese said.

In particular, the constitutional amendment concerns the future requirement for a body of Indigenous Australians to advise the government on matters relating to Indigenous peoples. Members should be nominated by Aboriginal authorities, not the government. The relationship between Australians and Indigenous peoples is a very important issue. According to the National Museum, the tribes settled on the Red Continent 65,000 years ago.

In the decades following the arrival of the first fleet at Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788 and subsequent colonisation, Aboriginal children were taken from their parents. They had to grow up in homes or white families. The victims are referred to in Australia as the “Stolen Generation”. It was only in 2008 that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issued an official apology for the suffering of Aboriginal people.

Tribal people were not mentioned in the country’s constitution passed in 1901. They were granted civil rights only in 1967. After his election victory in May 2022, Albanese advanced through the “voice referendum”. Most recently, it was said that the survey would be conducted between October and December 2023.