this post was submitted on 15 Oct 2023
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Why did there need to be a vote? (lemmy.world)
submitted 1 year ago by PlogLod@lemmy.world to c/australia@aussie.zone
32 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

If Anthony Albanese, current prime minister, is in support of and vowed to install the Indigenous Voice advisory board, why can't he just do it? He also made a comment beforehand that he would respect people's decision if they vote no, implying that he might be able to override it if he wanted to.

"the PM on Sunday said Labor would “respect the response of Australians next Saturday”.

“If Australians vote no, I don’t believe that it would be appropriate to then go and say, ‘Oh, well, you’ve had your say, but we’re going to legislate anyway’.”

I personally believe that what white Australians want is irrelevant to the fundamental rights that the original owners of this land deserve, and he should have just done it if he was able to.

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[–] PlogLod@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Fair enough, but then why did Albanese suggest he had the ability to override the vote but was opting not to?

[–] Nath@aussie.zone 13 points 1 year ago

He can put a body in place. We've had them before. The trouble is: the opposition gets in and gets rid of it again.

By having the body enshrined in the constitution, it's permanent. Another party can't come along and get rid of it again.

[–] alex@agora.nop.chat 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

He doesn't have the power to override the vote and put it in the constitution, but the body doesn't need to be in the constitution to exist.

They could form it legally without that section, there's just nothing stopping it being torn down after the next election if he does, because the constitution wouldn't be enforcing it. The whole point was to make it more resilient to attacks.

Even if it were in the constitution, the government of the time would be able to choose the shape the Voice took, but I suppose the expectation would be that, if it were enshrined in the constitution, that's a very strong message that messing with it would put the majority of the country against you.

[–] PlogLod@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Maybe he should just form the body anyway and hope that by the time the opposition are in power, people have realised it's a good thing and they won't reverse the decision?

[–] Peddlephile@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

That's what's likely going to happen, and there is a very high chance that it will get dismantled again, just like Abbott did after Rudd set up that very thing.

All it will take is a media barrage in favour of the Coalition and we'll be right back to where we started. History repeats, and so on, and so forth.