Australian PM Is Confident of Winning Vote to Change Constitution Despite Falling Public Support

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to media during a press conference at the Kaarta Gar-up Lookout in Perth, Australia, on May 8, 2023. AAP Image/Matt Jelonek

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is still confident in the success of a referendum to change Australia’s Constitution despite new polling showing a drop in the public’s approval.

This comes as advocacy groups prepare to launch thousands of “Yes” events across the country to encourage Australians to back the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

The Voice is an initiative by the Labor federal government to embed a permanent body into the Constitution that will have the power to advise the Parliament and government on issues deemed to impact Indigenous people.

Australians will go to the polls sometimes between October and December.

Local Indigenous Ngunnawal residents celebrate at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra, Australia, on Jan. 26, 2023. Martin Ollman/Getty Images

According to the latest Newspoll conducted by The Australian newspaper, 43 percent of the respondents said they would vote “Yes” in the coming referendum, down from 46 percent in the previous polling.

Meanwhile, the percentage of people disapproving of The Voice had risen from 43 to 47 percent.

The remaining ten percent were unsure whether to support the change to Australia’s constitution.

Young people aged 18-34 had the highest support for The Voice at 63 percent, while most of those above 50 opposed the initiative.

This is not the only poll to show a decline in support for altering the Constitution.

Prime Minister Remains Confident

The prime minister, however, remained optimistic.

“It’s always easier in a referendum to put a ‘no’ argument out there, and that’s why the success rate is something like eight out of 48 (referendums),” Albanese told Seven’s Sunrise program.

He also believed people would change their attitude when the pro-Voice campaign took off.

“People will really focus on this when the campaign is actually on. They would recognise the great benefit that would come from this, and there really isn’t a downside,” Albanese said.

“I’m very confident that Australians will embrace that opportunity to say ‘yes’ in the referendum in the last quarter of this year.”

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton warned about the significant risks associated with the changes to Australia’s Constitution.

“By its very design, The Voice is going to have the ability to have a say on every area of government responsibility,” he told reporters.

Dutton noted that once The Voice was embedded into the Constitution, it could not be undone by any legislation—only via another referendum.

In addition, he said the government had not provided a clear explanation of how The Voice would work despite the opposition’s repeated requests.

Leader of the opposition Peter Dutton MP during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on Feb. 14, 2023. Martin Ollman/Getty Images

“The legal uncertainty and ambiguity here are quite remarkable, and to change the Constitution this way is without precedent,” Dutton said.

The opposition leader then called on the Labor government to cancel the referendum to avoid setting back reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.

“If the prime minister is set on that course … going into a referendum knowing it’s going to fail and the reconciliation will be set back, he should delay it or pull it back together,” Dutton said.

‘Yes’ Campaign to Launch Thousands of Events

Meanwhile, the Yes campaign for the referendum says it will launch a new fund to encourage communities to hold “conversations” about the importance of a successful referendum.

Specifically, the Yes Alliance Capacity Fund will provide one-off grants between $1,000 (US$672) and $15,000 to help community groups run activities and forums to convince Australians to vote “yes.”

It also encouraged Indigenous community organisations to apply for financial assistance.

Yes 23 campaign director Dean Parkin said the fund would support more “Yes” conversations across the country.

“We want to encourage even more community conversations with everyday Australians about why a successful referendum will help deliver practical outcomes on the ground and move Australia forward,” he said.

“This fund will help ensure even more community events can get off the ground so our positive message can be heard by more Australians.”

The campaign is expected to organise thousands of such events before the referendum occurs.

Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil believed support for The Voice would grow when more conversations took place.

“We are going to win this referendum through millions of conversations that happen around people’s kitchen tables and on their doorsteps,” she told ABC Radio.

“It is very hard to get a referendum passed in this country, and what we need to do now is having those millions of conversations that are going to switch hearts and minds.”