Polls show support for Australia’s indigenous referendum waning, likely to fail

SYDNEY, Sept 25 (Reuters) – Support for a referendum to constitutionally recognize Australia’s indigenous peoples fell further, with the landmark proposal set to fail in a national vote in about three weeks, two opinion polls showed on Monday .

Support for a “Voice in Parliament‘, an indigenous committee to advise parliament on issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, fell to 33%, down 15 points since May, the Australian Financial Review poll showed (AFR)/Freshwater. The “No” vote had reached 50%. .

Despite a campaign push by the Anthony Albanese-led Labor government to win over undecided voters, opposition to the referendum rose three points to 56%, a Newspoll conducted for The Australian newspaper showed. Support fell to 36% from 38% in the previous September 3 poll.

Changing the constitution requires a national referendum in Australia and there have only been eight since the country was formed in 1901. The proposal must win a majority of votes nationwide and at least four of the six states must support the change.

Australia, which will hold a referendum vote on October 14, has no treaty with its indigenous people, who make up about 3.2 percent of its 26 million people. They were marginalized by the British colonial rulers and are not mentioned in the 122-year-old constitution.

The referendum debate has divided opinion with supporters arguing the Voice will bring progress for the Aboriginal community, while opponents say it would be divisive. Others have described him as token and toothless.

Voters who had swung to reject the proposal in the past five months said the Voice was creating a distraction from their two main issues: the cost of living and the cost of housing, the AFR poll said .

It also showed approval ratings for Albanese, who has staked significant political capital on the referendum, fell 5 points to 46%.

In the Newspoll poll, Albanese’s ratings improved slightly to 47%, although they remained at historically low levels, while, on a two-party preferred basis, Labor enjoyed a lead of 54-46% against the conservative opposition coalition.

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