On 14 October 2023, Australia will participate in a national referendum on the Constitutional Recognition of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament.
This means Australia will decide if Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should have a say in decisions that affect them.
During this time of learning and reflection, our goal is to provide information about the Voice to Parliament in a respectful manner, making it simple for people to access accurate facts and actively participate.
We are dedicated to promoting truth-telling, and to support that commitment, we have gathered a collection of resources on the Voice to Parliament, the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart, and the upcoming referendum.
The proposed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice will be an independent advisory body made up of Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander people, chosen by local communities.
It will make representations to the Australian Parliament and Executive Government on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This is also the precursor for the YES campaign.
- Australian Government - The Voice
- Reconciliation Australia
- National Indigenous Australians Agency
- ABC - What is the Indigenous Voice to Parliament?
- Australian Electoral Commission - Disinformation register
The Referendum
To change the Australian Constitution, a referendum has to be held to seek the approval of Australian voters.
- Australian Government - The Voice: How a referendum works
- Parliament of Australia - The Australian Constitution
Voting in the referendum is compulsory
If you are enrolled to vote, you must vote in the upcoming referendum.
Uluru Statement Of The Heart
The Uluru Statement from the Heart is the culmination of 13 Regional Dialogues with First Nations people which arrived at a consensus about what constitutional recognition should look like. The Statement is an invitation from First Nations people to all Australians. One of its key features is to ask Australians to support meaningful constitutional recognition through providing a First Nations Voice.
The No campaign
The 'No' campaign is 'Australians for Unity. ' This campaign is led by Shadow Indigenous Australians Minister Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and Nyunggai Warren Mundine. In May 2023, Price and Mundine merged their respective 'No' campaigns, 'Fair Australia' and 'Recognise a Better Way. '
