Key Points
- Experts say Australia will now struggle to speak with authority on human rights elsewhere in the world.
- An Indigenous leader says a chance to elevate the status of First Nations people has been missed.
- Overseas pundits say Australia is seen as having 'a lack of will' to meet the needs of Indigenous people.
In Brazil, reports of the outcome of Australia's first referendum in more than two decades claimed that “profound challenges” remain internationally in the enforcement of the rights of Indigenous peoples.
In Portugal, one leading outlet described the campaign prior to voting as “corrosive” and responsible for deepening racial divisions in the island continent.
The proposal to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in Australia’s constitution was voted down in all six states and in the Northern Territory, while the ‘No’ vote came out on top in the national tally.
As coverage continues in the fallout of the historic vote, international strategy expert Hugh Piper believes the result has diminished Australia’s ability to “speak with authority" on issues of human rights and the empowerment of Indigenous people worldwide.
“In Australia’s near region of the Pacific and Southeast Asia, amongst post-colonial nations, the result will limit Australia’s ability to sympathise and speak credibly about ongoing historical injustice," Mr Piper said.
He explained that among similar 'Anglosphere' countries, especially Canada, New Zealand and the US – who each have had their own Indigenous reconciliation “challenges” – the referendum result would reflect poorly on Australia’s progressive politics and its trajectory towards better relations with its Indigenous peoples.
"Most worryingly, though, is the effect of the vote with respect to nefarious and cynical authoritarian actors such as China, Russia, Iran, and the various Middle Eastern nations.”
'Golden opportunity missed'
Jill Gallagher, CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO), said despite the "disappointing" result, Aboriginal communities had the resilience, determination, and fearlessness to continue to push forward.
“Australia has failed to seize a golden opportunity to elevate the status and visibility of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples," she said.
"However, I am heartened by the support the 'Yes' vote received in Victoria.
VACCHO CEO, Jill Gallagher, speaks at a 'Yes' rally in the lead-up to the 14 October referendum. Credit: VACCHO
We are a strong, resilient community and we will not falter.Jill Gallagher, VACCHO
"VACCHO will continue to fight tooth and nail for recognition and to rectify the appalling failures in the justice, health and government systems that contribute to a horrific life expectancy and health gap for our people.”
'Profound challenges' in recognising First Peoples
In the days after the result in Brazil, the newspaper 'O Estado de Sao Paulo' published an analysis by Leonardo Barros Soares and Priscylla Joca.
The former is an assistant professor in the Department of Social Sciences at the Federal University of Viçosa in Brazil while the latter holds the same position at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law, in Toronto, Canada.
They wrote that the 'No' victory was a symptom of the profound challenges that exist in the recognition and enforcement of international rights of Indigenous peoples in the most diverse countries.
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, among other international documents, recognises the right to participation, consultation and self-determination in any matter (of an administrative or legislative nature) that affects the lives of Indigenous peoples.
Mr Soares and Ms Joca stated that these rights have been permanently denied in Australia, engendering racist and colonialist policies contrary to the rights and interests of these peoples.
Source: SBS
This could include areas such as climate, environmental and territorial policies, public health and education policies, or in relation to extractive projects such as mining — which is an important economic pillar in both Brazil and Australia.
Regret over 'postponed reconciliation'
In Portugal, the opening line of a comment by broadcaster, Antena 1, about the 'No' vote’s victory was telling.
They asked for a voice to be heard, but in the end, the Australian referendum failed.Antena 1, Portuguese broadcaster
They regretted that a “national reconciliation” had been postponed until an uncertain time, with the continued neglect of First Nations communities that have populated the “huge” Australian island for 65,000 years.
They said, “Aboriginal peoples continue to have no voice in the Constitution of Australia,” and that, “there continues to be a lack of will in meeting, even symbolically, these founding peoples”.
The newspaper 'Observador' stated, “Australians rejected a reform of Aboriginal rights put to a referendum at the end of a corrosive campaign that deepened racial divisions in the country-continent.”
More than 17.5 million people cast their ballots in the lead-up to or on referendum day, 14 October. Source: AAP / CON CHRONIS/AAPIMAGE
'We must study reasons for 'No'
Queensland-based lawyer Siwar Mtanes told SBS Arabic24 that efforts must be made to study the reasons behind the majority’s “reluctance to say ‘Yes’.”
"This result proves that this referendum was not a priority for Australians. They demand that the government first solve the problems of the high cost of living," he said.
“I also noticed that the purpose of the referendum or information about it is not clear. The timing of the referendum was bad and these points were well exploited by the opposition.
“It was clear that the government was holding this referendum to create a tick a box, to tell the citizens: ‘we did what we could, and this is the result’.”
Adelaide voter Tariq Al-Haris said the indicators of the 'No' vote win were visible before the poll.
In my point of view, this referendum was a political struggle between the two main parties in Australia.Adelaide resident, Tariq Al-Haris
“Although I feel sorry for the Indigenous people, they did not get their rights in the referendum, I believe that the current Labor government has done its duty to (both) the (non-Indigenous) people and the Indigenous people.
“We must note that the opposition made a great effort to persuade citizens to vote no, which is what happened," he added.
"But I don't advocate for the government to blindly invest money in campaigning," he told SBS Chinese.
"Instead, I hope that specific educational resources can be channelled directly into Indigenous schools through professionals."
Faced with the failure of the referendum, Mr Qian said he believed that voters, whether they voted in favour or against, "should not be characterised as racists" for their views.
David Chu, a volunteer at a polling station in Box Hill, acknowledged the positive impact of the referendum.
"It makes all Australians reflect and realise that many issues need to be addressed, such as the current regional development imbalance in Australia and the underdevelopment of Indigenous communities. It is time to think about how to seek mutual prosperity."
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