New poll shows support for Voice to Parliament continues to fall – as Anthony Albanese again rejects calls for a Leave referendum
A new poll on how people would vote for Voice for Voice dropped from 51 percent to 46 percent with previous supporters and undecided voters saying they would vote no.
A new poll shows support for the Voice is waning as undecided voters turn to a No vote and former supporters switch sides.
New data from JWS Research shows favoring the voice fell to 46 percent from 51 percent in February.
The news follows Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s decision on Thursday to reject the opposition’s suggestion that the Voice be legislated rather than fail in a referendum later this year.
The Yes Campaign, led by Mr Albanese, claims Voices will help unite Australia by giving Indigenous Australians a say in policies that affect their communities.
However, the No campaign, led by Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, says it has not been made clear what the actual powers of the voice will be and will only provide ‘symbolic’ changes.
A new survey shows former VOICE supporters and undecided voters are looking to vote No in October’s referendum (pictured, ‘No’ leader Jacinta Nampijinpa Price).
Referendum question
In October, Australians will be asked:
‘A Proposed Act: Amending the Constitution to Recognize Australia’s First Peoples by Establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve of this proposed change?’
If Australians vote yes, the following changes will be made to the Constitution:
There will be an organization called Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voices Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voices can make representations to Parliament and the Commonwealth Executive Government on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have the power to legislate on matters relating to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, including its composition, functioning and procedures.
The JWS survey showed that the increase in opposition to the Voice was greater than the number of people abandoning their support, the Daily Telegraph reported on Saturday.
This means the No vote is gaining not only people who previously thought they would vote Yes, but also people who were previously undecided.
The data also showed that men were more likely than women to oppose the vote, with 50 percent of men planning to vote no compared to 37 percent of women.
More men were also determined to vote, with only eight percent undecided compared to 14 percent of women.
Poll analyst John Scales said the result could make the Yes Party regret taking the Voice to the referendum.
‘The Voice campaign is starting to look like the Turnbull election in eight weeks of 2016 – something voters didn’t want or want,’ he said.
NSW is one of the key states that has seen the biggest vote change since February.
Earlier this year, 52 percent of voters said they would vote yes in the upcoming referendum but this figure has fallen to 41 percent, while the no vote rose from 32 percent to 47 percent.
In Queensland the No vote rose to 46 per cent from 38 per cent in February while the Yes vote fell from 48 per cent to 45 per cent.
The only state to see a jump in support for the Yes vote was Western Australia where 11 per cent more voters said they would support Voice, bringing the state’s total to 61 per cent.
Mr Albanese responded to the news during a press conference on Saturday.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (above) responded to the poll results on Saturday, saying ‘Voice will be about giving Indigenous Australians a voice that is heard’.
He told reporters from Sydney’s Marrickville, ‘There is a different vote every day.
‘Every poll, including the one mentioned today, has more yes votes than no votes.’
He continued: ‘We have an eight-year life expectancy gap in this country [between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians].
‘We have worse health outcomes for Indigenous Australians. An Aboriginal youth is more likely to go to jail than to go to university.
‘What is it [the Voice] Doing something with Indigenous Australians… to get better results, hearing about getting better policy, that’s good policy making.
‘Voice will be about giving Indigenous Australians a voice that is heard, which can then be channeled into better policy to make a difference, to close the gap.
‘We have to do better.’
Here’s what we know about Voice to Parliament so far
Here, Daily Mail Australia looks at some of the key questions about Voice so far and how the government has dealt with them:
What kind of advice can the voice give to parliament and government?
VOICE will advise on issues that are directly related to indigenous peoples.
It will respond to requests made by the government, as well as have the ability to actively engage in issues it believes affect them.
The group will have its own resources to research issues and engage with communities at the grassroots level to ensure it best reflects their needs.
How will the members of the Voice be selected?
VOICE members will be appointed by Aboriginal communities and serve on the committee for a period of time, yet to be determined.
Local communities will agree with the government as part of a ‘post-referendum process’ to ensure cultural legitimacy in the way communities elect their representatives.
Who can be committee members?
Members of the Voice must be Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
They will be chosen from each state and territory and have balanced gender representation nationally.
The government has also guaranteed that youth will be included in the committee to ensure representation across a wide spectrum of communities.
Will the voice be transparent?
The government said it would be subject to scrutiny and reporting requirements to ensure the Voice remains accountable and transparent.
VOICE members will be held to the standards of the National Anti-Corruption Commission and will be sanctioned or removed from the committee if any misconduct is found.
Will the voice have veto power?
No.
Will the Voice work independently of other government agencies?
The committee must respect the work and role of existing bodies, says the government.
Will Voice manage any funds?
Voice will not directly manage any funds or provide any services to the community.
Its sole role will be to make presentations on improvements to existing government programs and services and advise on new ideas coming through the parties.
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