Historic legislation to approve a referendum to recognize First Nations people in the Australian constitution by establishing a powerful advisory body was approved by the federal parliament Monday. The reform passed the Senate, the upper chamber of parliament, by 52 votes to 19. It had previously been passed by lawmakers in the lower chamber.
There is no mention of Australia’s original inhabitants in the 1901 constitution, the founding document of the former British colony.
That could change later this year when a referendum is held. Voters in Australia will be asked to amend the constitution to acknowledge First Nations people by establishing what is being called an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
The left-leaning government in Canberra has said that until the constitution recognized First Nations people, Australia was a “nation missing its heart.”
Linda Burney is the Minister for Indigenous Australians. She believes the advisory panel will make practical improvements to the lives of Aboriginal people.
Burney told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Monday that the advisory panel would help to shape official policies.
"It will give independent advice not just to the parliament but also to the government," she said. "It will be chosen by local people. It will be accountable. It will be balanced."
But there is heated debate about the referendum and its impact on the lives of Indigenous Australians, who suffer disproportionately high rates of poverty, ill-health and imprisonment.
Critics insist the Voice is a "white elitist" project that won’t tackle Aboriginal poverty or discrimination. Independent senator Lidia Thorpe said the proposal would be little more than "appeasing white guilt."
There are also concerns that the Voice to Parliament would add another layer of bureaucracy to the decision-making process.
Conservative MP Jacinta Nampijinpa Price is among a group of Indigenous lawmakers who oppose a separate First Nations advisory panel.
"This is massive and will mean that some Australians are treated differently based on the color of their skin," she said in an official campaign video. "I’ll be voting no because this will not unite us. This will divide us."
Recent opinions polls have shown that support for the Indigenous Voice among Australian voters has slipped to below 50%.
To succeed, constitutional referendums in Australia need what's called a double majority. A majority of voters must say "yes" across the nation, but most of Australia’s six states also must return a "yes" vote for the referendum to be approved.
Constitutional change in Australia is rare — only eight of 44 referendums have succeeded.
The Indigenous Voice referendum is expected to be held between October and December.
