In the aftermath of Saturday’s unsuccessful referendum, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has remained reticent regarding the prospective pursuit of a treaty or truth-telling process. The initial question time since the no vote saw the prime minister facing criticism from the opposition, accusing him of turning a blind eye to the escalating cost of living crisis throughout the year’s Voice to Parliament campaign.
In addressing inquiries about his potential pursuit of a Makarrata commission as outlined in the Uluru Statement of the Heart, Mr. Albanese took a shot at Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s faltering insistence on constitutional recognition. He castigated Dutton as being all talk but no action, rhetorically noting, “the Leader of the Opposition is all trailer, no movie. He never actually sticks to a commitment.”
In relation to the referendum aftermath, Albanese emphasized his respect for the Indigenous community’s decision to observe a week of mourning following the poignant outcome. “I have sought to honour the autonomy of Indigenous Australians, to respond to the invitational hand they extended.,” stated the Prime Minister, adding that he duly noted the opposition’s shifting stance on the constitution.
The referendum saw a paltry 39.6 per cent of the national constituency vote in favour, leaving a whopping 60.4 per cent in opposition. Pockets of support were observed in remote areas with high Indigenous populations, where a constitutional Indigenous Voice find support.
In response to Saturday night’s disappointing results, Indigenous Australians countrywide initiated a “week of silence” to mourn the outcome and introspect on its repercussions. Alongside taking a media hiatus, the pro-referendum leaders announced that they would fly their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags at half-mast for the week in recognition of the results, urging others to do the same.
Coinciding with this, an about-face by Mr. Dutton saw him renege on his earlier commitment to advocate for another referendum for constitutional recognition, suggesting the public was currently disillusioned with the idea.
Amid a volley of reproach from the opposition, alleging that PM Albanese had misused billions on the Voice referendum, shadow treasurer Angus Taylor said, “Australians are questioning the Prime Minister’s competence. He seems oblivious to the intricacies of his own decisions that are negatively impacting Australian lives.”
The prime minister rebutted, stating that Mr. Taylor was always opposed to policies and talked about the recently-passed housing Australia future plan, which is set to funnel $10bn into the nation’s social affordable housing, faced stark opposition from those across the parliamentary aisle.
