The Discussion on The Voice

(Transcript)

Constitution. Referendum. change. these are all words you would have heard quite regularly in the news lately. You know you have to vote, and you know you have two boxes to choose from – however, do you actually know what the Voice to Parliament is and what the change in the constitution will mean? In today’s episode, we will be exploring the topic that everyone has been talking about.

INTRO

The Voice is a topic that has been dominating headlines. There is so much information out there that it can get overwhelming.

So, what is it? Reconciliation Western Australia explains how the Voice will be an advisory body – which means that it will be able to provide advice on laws specifically in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (Reconciliation WA, 2023). If the referendum is successful, the constitution will permanently change unless another referendum is held to change it back. A referendum can only happen after Parliament passes a bill containing the proposed change to the Constitution. I will go into this more in a future episode. For a referendum to be successful, a ‘double majority’ must vote yes for the proposed change. The Australian Government says the term double majority means a national majority of voters across the country and a majority of voters in at least 4 out of 6 states (Australian Government, 2023).

What actually is changing the constitution? Let’s take a step back for a second and take a look at the actual question that Australians will posed with on the 14th of October. The statement and question on the ballot paper will be:

‘A Proposed Law: to alter the constituition to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.

Do you approve this proposed alteration?’

Reconciliation Australia, 2023. Voice: Flynn Magee

If the referendum is successful, then there will be a new chapter and section added to the Constitution. I could do a deep dive into what the new chapter will be, but let me put it into simpler terms. the chapter added will be Chapter 9 – recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. there will be a body, which will be called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Parliament will have the power to make laws with respect to matters relating to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. (Reconciliation Australia, 2023).

Referendums are a big deal. There have been 44 referendums and only 8 have been successful (AEC, 2012).

So now you know the basics of what the Voice is and what the change in the Constitution will mean. Next episode we will be exploring any extra questions that you guys have in regard to gaining a more specific insight and addressing concerns as well. Thanks, for listening.

OUTRO

(Transcript)

There has been a lot of uncertainty and questions regarding the upcoming referendum. Having conversations around the dinner table, listening to the news and reading articles are all different ways to inform yourself about the Voice, but no matter how much information is given to you, there are still questions that arise. In this episode, we will be exploring some of those burning questions you have and trying to make sense of some confusing aspects of the Voice to Parliament.

INTRO

The Voice has a number of objectives, with a major focus on constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first people of this land. if Australians are serious about formal recognition it needs to be done in a way that will become formalised and hard to backtrack from.

The first frequently asked question to focus on is why does the Voice need to go into the Constitution. Why does it need to change? (Voice: Rebecca Tjihin)

If the Voice is in the Constitution, another referendum would have to be held to remove it. There have been several advisory bodies over the decades which I found while looking at the history of the Parliament House archives (Australian Parliament House, 2023). Each was set up by parliamentary processes and was then abolished by successive governments when powers were changed. Enshrining the voice into the Constitution will encourage the government in power to work with First Nations people and ensure their advice and input is heard.

For the next question I turned to Google Trends (2023) – what is everyone searching on Google/ People read about the Voice and then see the Uluru Statement from the Heart mentioned. So, what is the Uluru Statement and how is it connected to the upcoming referendum? (Voice: Boyd Bann-Murray)

The statement is an invitation from First Nations peoples to non-indigenous Australians that calls for Indigenous Australian rights to be recognised.

‘We call for the stalishment of a First Nations Voice enshrined in the Constituion.’

Uluru Statement from the Heart (2023)

Asking the people of Australia for support and recognition is the main focus of the statement which directly links to the referendum.

Which leads to the next inquiry – if the referendum is successful, what happens next? (Voice: Troy Harding). Reconciliation WA (2023) says the Voice won’t be enshrined until legislation is enacted. If the referendum is successful there will be further meetings with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities to help design further specifics of the Voice. After that, a bill will be put forward to parliament and they decide if it becomes law. Once Parliament approves the legislation to establish the Voice, the legislation comes into effect and the work to set up the Voice begins.

These questions in this podcast are questions I have found on multiple sites and questions I have heard people ask. if you have further queries, searching them up on Google or going to trusted websites to find the answers is where I would recommend going. next episode we are going to break down information on the internet regarding the Voice.

OUTRO

(Transcript)

There has been a wide range of information that has been circulating around on the internet. You may have heard about these pamphlets that were announced in July and released in August or heard politicians talk about the Uluru Statement from the Heart, however, do you understand what they mean? In this episode, I will be breaking down the information that has been released about the Voice and explaining what importance they have to the Voice to Parliament.

INTRO

Let’s begin with an explanation of the Yes or No pamphlets. The Australian Government (2023) published the Yes and No pamphlets, which contain the Yes and No cases prepared by members of Parliament who voted for and against the proposed law. The 8-page document contains arguments from those who voted for the proposed law and those who voted against it. The pamphlets are a side-by-side comparison of why you should vote for or against it. The No campaign came up with a strong tagline throughout their side: ‘If you don’t know, vote no’. Whereas the yes campaign has a wide range of Indigenous Aistrtalia opinions throughout it. If you are trying to make an informed decision, the pamphlets are great for an overview. The pamphlets are important for the Voice referendum because they give parliamentary insight.

Keeping track of what people are voting for is quite important. According to the poll tracker on the Guardian (2023) from early October, 66% of people between the ages of 18-34 are planning to vote yes for the referendum, however, 57% of people between 35-54 and 75% of people over the age of 55 are planning on voting against the referendum. These statistics are important for informing people about the referendum as it is keeping people updated on where the polls are tracking.

Moving on to something I previously mentioned in episode 2 the Uluru Statement (2023). The website has links to frequently asked questions, facts about the Voice to Parliament and further resources to help guide your decision-making. You do have to be aware that the referendum was prompted by the Uluru statement, being aware of bias is important. The Uluruu Statemtn website was created before the referendum, so they have used this pre-existing website to establish the Voice information.

With voting day around the corner, it is important to make an informed decision. your decision is important, no matter which word you end up writing on the ballot paper on the day.

This episode concludes the Discussion mini-podcast series. thanks for listening and just remember that your vote matters.

OUTRO