00:00 On October 14, Australians will be casting their votes in a historic referendum.
00:17 And it's all about recognizing and empowering the indigenous people by creating a representative
00:23 body.
00:24 This body will have the power to provide non-binding advice to the parliament and today we are
00:30 here to give you all the crucial details about Australia's 'Wise to Parliament' campaign.
00:36 Let's dive right in.
00:41 The indigenous people of Australia are the aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
00:46 constituting approximately 3.8% of the country's population.
00:52 The history spanning over 60,000 years, over 800,000 indigenous individuals and their forebears
01:00 have called this land their home.
01:03 These communities comprise numerous distinct groups, each with unique histories, traditions
01:08 and languages.
01:15 The indigenous population of Australia experienced a significant decline following the commencement
01:21 of British colonization in 1788.
01:25 This decline was attributed to various factors, including land dispossession, exposure to
01:31 new diseases, labour under harsh conditions resembling slavery and violence perpetrated
01:38 by colonizers.
01:39 The marginalization of Australia's First Nations people has continued until recent years.
01:46 Across most socio-economic measures, aboriginal people in Australia fall behind national averages.
01:53 They also bear a disappropriate burden of challenges with significantly higher rates
01:59 of suicide, domestic violence and imprisonment.
02:03 Tragically, their life expectancy lags behind that of non-indigenous Australians by approximately
02:10 8 years.
02:11 During the years spanning from 1910 to 1970s, a heartbreaking reality unfolded in Australia.
02:21 Approximately one in every three indigenous children was torn from their families in a
02:26 misguided effort to integrate them into white society.
02:31 It wasn't until 2008 that the government issued a formal apology for the grave injustice inflicted
02:38 upon the stolen generation.
02:46 Indigenous people in former British colonies continue to grapple with marginalization.
02:52 Yet some nations have made more progress in upholding their rights and well-being.
02:58 Canada recognizes the rights of its indigenous people under the Constitution Act 1982.
03:05 New Zealand's Treaty of Waitangi, established in 1840, includes commitments to safeguard
03:11 Maori culture.
03:13 The nation has also introduced Maori parliamentary seats, providing the indigenous community
03:19 with the choice to vote for candidates in these seats or take part in general elections.
03:32 Australia began including indigenous people in the census data following a constitutional
03:37 amendment referendum in 1967, over six decades after the nation's establishment in 1901.
03:46 In 2017, approximately 250 First Nations representatives convened at Uluru, a sacred monolith landmark
03:54 in central Australia advocating for the inclusion of a First Nations voice with the Constitution.
04:01 The proposal was dismissed by the Conservative government in office at that time.
04:07 Fast forward to 2022, when Anthony Albanese from the Labour Party became the Prime Minister
04:14 of Australia.
04:15 He pledged that Australians would have an opportunity to express their views through
04:20 a referendum concerning the integration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices
04:26 in Parliament.
04:33 Recent opinion polls for this month reveal that more Australians are leaning towards
04:38 voting 'no' in the upcoming referendum rather than 'yes'.
04:42 This referendum stands as a central issue for Prime Minister Albanese and he has invested
04:48 a significant portion of his political capital in it.
04:51 Backing the referendum are Albanese Labour Party, the Left-Wing Greens Party, various
04:56 independent lawmakers, numerous welfare organisations, and national religious and ethno-religious
05:02 groups.
05:03 However, there are opponents from both ends of the political spectrum.
05:08 Independent indigenous senator Lydia Thorpe left the Green Party due to concerns about
05:13 the voice proposal.
05:16 Advocating for a treaty between the government and indigenous people, a keen to arrangements
05:21 in New Zealand and Canada.
05:23 On the other side, the Conservative Liberal Party and the rural-based National Party stand
05:29 against the proposal and are urging Australians to vote 'no'.
05:34 These parties have a long-standing coalition agreement.
05:38 The 'No' campaign, also known as the Recognise a Better Way campaign, proposes the establishment
05:44 of an all-party parliamentary committee to focus on the rights to native title holders
05:50 instead of creating a voice to parliament to a referendum.
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