A referendum will be held in Australia on October 14, 2023. This referendum will vote on a bill called “Indigenous Voice”. [1] “. Australian officials said on September 21, 2023 that the first votes for constitutional change would begin shortly and that a record number of Australians had registered to vote in a referendum that would create an indigenous advocacy body.[2]The participation rate is estimated at 97%.[3]
This is the highest turnout rate in any election in Australia to date. This can also be read in the context of voting being compulsory in Australia. It is expected that 17 million 676 thousand 347 people will vote in the referendum.[4]Tom Rogers, Chairman of the Australian Electoral Commission, made the following statement on this situation: [5]
“There is a factor that people are interested in the event and there is a lot of media coverage. They are very likely to register and participate.”
The October 14, 2023 referendum aims to amend the Australian Constitution and include an “Indigenous Voice” group in Parliament. This group will consist of a group of indigenous representatives who will advise the government and legislators on policies affecting the lives of the country’s most disadvantaged ethnic minority.
This referendum will be the first referendum since 1999. On the other hand, Australia has not held a referendum with a positive outcome since 1977. [6] Rogers said he was concerned about online threats to Australian Electoral Commission staff who administer referendums and federal elections: [7]
“This is the first social media referendum in Australian history. We’ve certainly seen more threats against the Australian Electoral Commission than we’ve ever seen before, which I think is frankly an outrage. They come up with crazy conspiracy theories about voting systems being rigged. They deeply believe everything they say. So it’s our job to put out accurate information about what the facts are.”
In addition, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged people to vote “yes” as polls show that more than 80% of Australia’s indigenous population (Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders) are positive about the referendum. On the issue, Albanese said: [8]
“Let’s be very clear about the alternative. Because voting ‘no’ will get us nowhere. It means nothing will change. Voting ‘no’ closes the door to an important opportunity to move forward. I say today, don’t close the door to constitutional recognition. Don’t close the door to listening to communities to get better results. Don’t close the door on an idea from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and don’t close the door on the next generation of Indigenous Australians. Vote ‘Yes'”
Australia is an important ally of the United States of America (USA) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The Canberra government is a critical actor for the West because of its involvement in both the AUKUS Pact [9] partnership between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD). [10] of the United States, India, Japan and Australia, and the ANZUS Treaty, a partnership between Australia, New Zealand and the United States.[11] This is because in all three Western-based formations established in the Asia-Pacific region, Australia is the only unchanging actor alongside the United States. Çünkü Asya-Pasifik Bölgesi’nde kurulan ve Batı temelli olan her üç oluşumda da Avustralya, ABD’yle birlikte yer alan ve değişmeyen tek aktördür.
As a result, this makes Australia a country that emphasizes democracy. It can be argued that the relations between Canberra and the West can be deepened on the basis of democracy with the referendum in question.
[1] “Australia Sets Date for Historic Referendum on its First Nations People”, Cable News Network World, https://edition.cnn.com/2023/08/29/australia/australia-voice-referendum-date-intl-hnk/index.html, (Erişim Tarihi: 31.08.2023).
[2] “Record Number of Australians Enroll to Vote in Referendum on Indigenous Voice to Parliament”, Associated Press News,https://apnews.com/article/australia-indigenous-voice-referendum-4f247fe0f44ab167858693e3feb5316c, (Erişim Tarihi: 21.09.2023).
[3] “Record Number of Australians Enrolled to vote in Voice Referendum”, The Sydney Morning Herald, https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/record-number-of-australians-enrolled-to-vote-in-voice-referendum-20230921-p5e6lf.html, (Erişim Tarihi: 21.09.2023).
[4] “Australian Electoral Commission Record Highest First Nations and Young People Voter Registration Yet”, ABC News,https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-21/highest-voter-enrolment-for-first-nations-australians/102885276, (Erişim Tarihi: 21.09.2023).
[5] “Record Number of Australians Enroll to Vote in Referendum on Indigenous Voice to Parliament”, Associated Press News,https://apnews.com/article/australia-indigenous-voice-referendum-4f247fe0f44ab167858693e3feb5316c, (Erişim Tarihi: 21.09.2023).
[6] “Voice Referendum: Australia to Hold Historic Indigenous Vote in October”, British Broadcasting Corporation News, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-66654327, (Erişim Tarihi: 31.08.2023).
[7] “Record Number of Australians Enroll to Vote in Referendum on Indigenous Voice to Parliament”, Associated Press News,https://apnews.com/article/australia-indigenous-voice-referendum-4f247fe0f44ab167858693e3feb5316c, (Erişim Tarihi: 21.09.2023).
[8] “Australia’s Indigenous ‘Voice’ Referendum: What You Need to Know”, Al Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/8/30/australias-vote-on-an-indigenous-voice-what-you-need-to-know, (Erişim Tarihi: 21.09.2023).
[9] “What is the Aukus Alliance and What are Its Implications?”, The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/sep/16/what-is-the-aukus-alliance-and-what-are-its-implications, (Erişim Tarihi: 03.02.2023).
[10] “Quad Members Meet in New Delhi, Assure it is not a Military Grouping or Meant to Counter China”, The Times of India, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/quad-members-meet-in-new-delhi-assure-it-is-not-a-military-grouping-or-meant-to-counter-something/articleshow/98391209.cms, (Erişim Tarihi: 31.01.2023).
[11] “The Australia, New Zealand and United States Security Treaty (ANZUS Treaty), 1951”, Office of the Historian, https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/anzus, (Erişim Tarihi: 31.01.2023).
