Australia is having a conversation about the Voice referendum being held later this year.
It’s about whether we should change the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing a body called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.
Voting in the referendum is compulsory for all eligible Australian citizens aged 18 years and over.
Be informed about the upcoming referendum, learn more about the Voice below.
What is a referendum?
- A referendum is when we vote on whether to change something in Australia’s Constitution.
- The Constitution is a document that outlines the rules by which Australia is governed, and it can only be changed through a referendum.
What is the Voice?
- The Voice would be an independent and permanent advisory body.
- It would give advice to the Australian Parliament and Government on matters that affect the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have called for the Voice to be representative of First Nations peoples from across Australia, be gender balanced and involve young people.
- It would be accountable and transparent.
When will the Voice referendum happen?
- The referendum will take place in late 2023.
Why the Voice?
Wondering why the Voice referendum is happening now? In 2017, 250 delegates from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across the country gathered and wrote the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which called for a Voice for First Nations people to be added to the Constitution. Then in 2022, the Australian Government agreed to have a referendum to let Australians decide whether to establish the Voice in the Constitution.
Be ready for the conversation, get informed at Voice.gov.au
