More than half of Australians oppose Indigenous panel in constitution, poll shows

The inclusion of an Indigenous advisory panel in the Australian constitution is met with opposition by over half of Australians, according to a recent poll conducted for The Australian newspaper. The support for a “Voice to Parliament”, which involves an Indigenous committee advising Parliament on matters concerning them, has significantly declined, with only 38% of voters intending to support it. On the other hand, approximately 53% of voters plan to oppose the proposal.

In about six weeks, Australia will vote in a referendum on October 14th regarding the alteration of the constitution to establish an Indigenous committee that provides advice to the federal parliament. The referendum requires a national majority vote and a majority vote in at least four out of the six states for a constitutional change to occur. Historically, only eight out of the 44 proposals for constitutional amendments have been approved since Australia gained independence in 1901.

The center-left Labor government is currently facing pressure to improve its messaging strategy as support for the referendum continues to decline in opinion polls. Additionally, Anthony Albanese, who has invested significant political capital in the referendum, experienced negative ratings for the first time since assuming office as the country’s prime minister last year.

While Labor still maintains a lead of 53-47% on a two-party preferred basis, this is a decrease from the previous poll’s 55-45% lead. The conservative coalition opposition, on the other hand, saw an increase in support, reaching its highest level since the May 2022 election with a lead of 37% to 35% on primary votes.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton recently stated that if the Voice referendum fails, he would hold a second referendum on Indigenous recognition. However, he does not support the establishment of a constitutionally-enshrined body, leading to criticism from the Voice support group. “He’s already planning the sequel while doing everything he can to sabotage the original,” said Albanese in response.

Renju Jose reporting in Sydney; Editing by Shri Navaratnam.