Australia sets stage for landmark Indigenous rights referendum
Al JazeeraAPR 2023
This referendum is perhaps the first serious chance Australia has to chart a new, equitable course for the country — one that includes the voices of the indigenous peoples of Australia. While not a perfect solution, the enshrinement of an indigenous advisory committee would help rectify Australia's shameful history of disenfranchisement and racism against the first people to set foot on the continent's soil. Australia should ignore the old guard and establish a new and fair relationship with indigenous Australians.
The Voice to Parliament is a dangerous proposal that, if passed, will permanently divide the Australian nation on the basis of race. Australians need only look at neighboring countries to understand the risks of approving such an advisory body, as New Zealand's Waitangi Tribunal has been swiftly hijacked by so-called "social justice activists." There are other ways the government can go about improving rights for indigenous populations before undermining unity in the nation.