Referendum

• A national Newspoll, conducted September 18–22 from a sample of 1,239, gave Labor a 54–46 lead, a one-point gain for Labor since the previous Newspoll, three weeks ago.
• While Labor’s primary vote improved at the Coalition’s expense, the drop for the Greens should have cost Labor preferences.
• He returns to net positive approval after falling into net negative for the first time this term in the previous Newspoll.
• While Labor and Albanese improved and Dutton fell, the Voice’s slump continued, with “no” now ahead by 56–36, out from a 53–38 “no” lead in early September.

• This type of information can manipulate people’s understanding of the issues, distort their vote and the result.
• Those looking for answers that avoid misinformation and disinformation often – with good reason – turn to experts.
• Read more:
  We now know exactly what question the Voice referendum will ask Australians.

1. Do Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people support the Voice?

• While there is not a single view among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, there is significant – indeed extraordinary – levels of support among them for the Voice.
• First, Indigenous support is demonstrated by the deliberative processes that sits behind the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
• This involved more than 1,200 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from across the country (the claim that non-Indigenous people attended the dialogues is false).

2. Will the Voice insert race into the Constitution?

• That section was originally included so as to give effect to the White Australia Policy, and Aboriginal people were excluded from it.
• Its existence and breadth underscores the need for a mechanism – the Voice – to listen to the very people to whom those laws would apply.

3. How will the Voice make a practical difference?

• The Voice will give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people a constitutionally guaranteed right to speak to government and the parliament about what’s needed for practical improvements to people’s lives.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have answers to many pressing issues confronting their communities, but all too often are not heard.

4. How can the Voice represent the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander views?

• Claims that the Voice will be a “Canberra Voice”, unrepresentative of the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and their views, misrepresents the proposal.
• These principles indicate how the government intends the Voice to represent the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and their views.
• These commitments will ensure the Voice is representative of the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander views.

5. Is the Voice in breach of international human rights standards?

• In fact, the Voice is supported under international human rights law as it recognises Indigenous peoples’ rights to political representation and is consistent with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
• In human rights and international law, equality and anti-discrimination means more than just treating people exactly the same.

6. Don’t Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people already have lots of ‘voices’ to government and parliament?

• There is currently no representative body to provide, in a nationally coordinated way, the government and parliament with the views and experience of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who will be affected by their decisions.
• To the extent there are other Indigenous organisations working with government and parliament, the Voice will complement, not detract, from their work.
• And while there may be more Aboriginal parliamentarians than ever – and this should be celebrated – these individuals do not primarily represent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

7. Will the Voice give rise to High Court litigation and clog up parliamentary work?

• According to the prevailing weight of informed legal opinion, the establishment of the Voice does not pose any abnormal risk of excessive litigation.
• Read more:
  What happens if the government goes against the advice of the Voice to Parliament?

8. How does the Voice affect sovereignty?

• The Voice proposal interacts with sovereignty at three different levels.
• First, the call for the Voice reform is based on the strong assertion in the Uluru Statement from the Heart of the continuing and unceded sovereignty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• This is not what is happening under the Voice proposal.

9. Why do we need to put the Voice in the Constitution?

• First Nations people, through the Uluru Statement from the Heart, indicated they wished for recognition in the form of the Voice.
• The second part of the answer relates to the operation of the Voice.
• If the Voice is in the Constitution, it can only be abolished by another referendum, rather than by a change of government policy.

10. Do Australians have enough detail to vote at the referendum?

• There’s often a lot of confusion about this question, which is because there are two types of detail that people talk about.
• This is the bit Australians are being asked to vote on, and the bit that is “permanent” (subject to a future referendum).
• The second is the detail about what the legislation establishing the “nuts and bolts” of the Voice will look like.
• Geoffrey Lindell has provided pro bono assistance to the UNSW Indigenous Law Centre on the Voice.

• While Ballotpedia's editorial and ballot measures teams are watching all ballot measures closely, they identified these top 15 based on their relation to wider policy debates, topic trends, campaign finance records, and unique situations.
• Ballotpedia Managing Editor Ryan Byrnewho heads-up the organization's ballot measures teamsaid, "These 15 ballot measures relate to broader political debates, such as abortion, election administration, and firearms, and they can have a sizable influence on policy discussions nationwide."
• "The trends we're seeing with these 15 measures, as well as state ballot measures in general," said Byrne, "are policies related to abortion, marijuana, and voting."
• Register here for our "Top 15 Ballot Measures to Watch" webinar with Managing Editor for the Ballot Measures Team, Ryan Byrne, Ballot Measures staff writer, Victoria Antram, at 12:30PM CT on October 20, 2022.

• The powerhouse coalition behind the initiative held an event today to celebrate the progress and officially kick-off the campaign to get the measure passed.
• The event included performances by students of all ages from across California, Master of Ceremony Kevin Frazier along with special guests.
• "This will lead to the largest investment in arts and music education in our nation's history," he added.
• This measure will accomplish the following:
  Provide on-going, annual funding for Arts and Music Education in public schools of almost $900 million, a more than 50% increase from current levels.