‘Quiet majority’ of Australians back Indigenous vote for parliament as poll reveals who supports Anthony Albanese’s plan – and who opposes it
- Recent Newspoll show that most support the Indigenous voice
- About 56 percent were in favor and 37 percent were against it
- There were 1,512 Australians surveyed
Newspoll revealed that most Australians support an Aboriginal vote in Parliament because it would allow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to have a say in policies that affect them.
The new poll of 1,512 Australians across the country to gather their views on Voice to Parliament shows that 56% of Australians support the proposal, while 37% oppose it.
Interestingly, those who support the advisory body were evenly divided between “strongly in favor” at 28 percent and “partially in favor” also at 28 percent.
Opponents strongly opposed the proposal, with 14% partly opposed and 23% strongly against.
The voters most supportive of the proposal were Green voters with 81 per cent in favour, followed by Labor voters with 74 per cent and Coalition voters with 37 per cent.
Most Australians support an Indigenous vote in Parliament, with Newspoll recently showing that 56 per cent of respondents support the motion (pictured, dancers performing at last year’s Garma Festival in north-eastern Arnhem Land)
Young adults between the ages of 18 and 34 were the age demographic most in favor of The Voice at 70 percent, while those 65 and older were 40 percent less supportive and 57 percent less supportive.
Women were also more favored than men and college graduates were more supported than those without a higher education.
The main reasons Australians support the voice is so that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a say in the policies that affect them, to ensure that their views are heard in Parliament, and to help bridge the gap and take a further step towards reconciliation.
Opponents of the proposal believe The Voice will not help fix problems affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, that it will favor one group of Australians over another and will divide our society.
It comes as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese delivered a speech in Canberra on Sunday calling on Australians to support a referendum to enshrine the voice in the Australian constitution.
Mr Albanese accused his opponents of “trying to start a culture war” over the proposal and of parroting misinformation.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured) gave a speech on Sunday calling on Australians to support a referendum to enshrine the voice in the Australian constitution.
“When we ask Australians to support an amendment to the Constitution that creates an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice, we are asking people to say yes to modest but meaningful change,” he said.
Not a radical assumption, but a reasonable one. A simple, vital, and practical principle: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a say in the policies and decisions that affect their lives.
Not only because – as I said before – it is a matter of courtesy to consult people when you make a decision that affects them. But because the practical results will be better.
Liberal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is expected to reveal his party’s position on The Voice next week, while the Citizens already announced their opposition to the proposal last year.
Mr. Dutton wrote a 15-question letter to Mr. Albanese last week, asking for more clarification about Voice.
Australians will vote in a referendum in the second half of this year on whether the constitution should be amended to create a body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to advise federal parliament on policies affecting them.
