What we are already hearing today from those leading the “no” campaign is an echo chamber of Trumpist sentiments for his supporters and acolytes in Australia.
Yes23 is blanketing the nation in hundreds of ads, while Fair Australia is sticking with a singular message and targeting specific states that will ensure a ‘no’ victory.
The prime minister’s approval ratings have turned around from the last Newspoll - but the “yes” campaign for the Voice referendum continues to struggle.
Two big ethical questions have emerged during the Voice to Parliament campaign: is it fair non-Indigenous people will get the majority say? And is it fair one group will get something others don’t?
Despite the claim ‘there is no comparable constitutional body like this anywhere in the world’ many countries have similar institutions to the proposed Voice.
Arguments against including Indigenous cultural perspectives and experiences in public policy have spilled over into prejudice and racism on both sides of the Tasman. That harms democracy.
From a legal standpoint, there is a difference between a state and a territory, and for some that justifies giving territory voters less say over changes to the national constitution.
Some Voice opponents are claiming the new advisory body could lead to the conversion of private land title to native title. But this is not how native title law works.
A Voice to Parliament would advise the “executive government” – that is, ministers and the public service – on issues that affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Truth-telling between First Nations and non-Indigenous people is a vital step in recognising past colonial wrongdoing. And research has found it is also a step towards self-determination and healing.
Constitutions are by nature short and incomplete documents. In Australia, parliament puts the flesh on the bones of the Constitution, including how a proposed Voice would operate.
Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, and Professor of Political Science, Charles Sturt University