Key Points
- Anthony Albanese will announce the date for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum next Wednesday.
- It highlights South Australia as a must-win state for the Yes campaign
- The date favoured for the national vote to change the constitution is October 14.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will name the date for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum in Adelaide next Wednesday, highlighting South Australia as a must win state for the Yes campaign.
The date of the poll will be 14 October, sandwiched between sporting events, and outside school holidays. It's also before the wet season sets in and prevents some Indigenous communities from being able to easily cast a vote.
For the referendum to succeed it needs an absolute majority, and a majority of states to back it.
What will Australians vote on in the Voice referendum?
Australians will be asked whether they want to enshrine the Voice into the constitution.
In full, the question will be "A proposed law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this alteration?"
What is the Indigenous Voice to Parliament?
, which would provide input for policy-makers on issues particularly impacting their communities.
Parliament would not be obliged to follow its advice, and the body would not have the power to veto laws. Indigenous people would also be recognised as Australia's First Peoples in the constitution.
, each needing both an overall majority and a majority in most states.
All Australians aged 18 and over are required to get onto the electoral roll and, like federal elections, must vote in referendums.
The public will vote in the first referendum in almost a quarter of a century, and if successful, it will be the first time Australians have voted to alter their constitution since 1977.
What has Anthony Albanese said about the Voice referendum?
"Very soon, our nation will have a once-in-a-generation chance to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our constitution - and make a positive difference to their lives with a Voice.
"To celebrate our shared history and build a better shared future. Nothing to lose, everything to gain.
"Every Australian will get a say in this. Every Australian will have the opportunity to vote Yes for a practical, positive difference in people's lives. Next week the date will be announced.
"I will be campaigning for constitutional recognition. Because if not now, when?"
What has the No campaign said about the Voice referendum?
Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price is the Opposition Indigenous Australians spokeswoman and leads Fair Australia.
She has previously said: "There are a lot more Indigenous Australians out there who don't feel like they've been represented through the Uluru Statement from the Heart."
The Warlpiri-Celtic woman has also expressed concern about a lack of detail on the Voice.
She said: "Australians deserve details, consultation and transparency. Instead we’ve been given a proposal that is risky, full of unknowns and enshrines division in the constitution."
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