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This is quite different to a federal election, where there are so many interesting and new talking points that come out of the results analysis - even if a landslide is predicted beforehand. Tonight it just feels like a immediate confirmation of what we've already known for months, and there is no discussion to be had beyond the same talking points that have been debated ad-nauseam throughout the entire campaign. Without an indication of anything further resulting from this referendum, the whole exercise just feels like a complete dead end.
Yeah, I hear you. With an election the country is choosing between two different paths. In this case we're either choosing progress or... not.
One of Dutton's talking points over the last few weeks was that he would propose some alternatives after the referendum. I imagine that will be part of the forthcoming "Albo is out of touch" campaign.
A lot of the commentary I have seen online from non-Indigenous voters, even those who voted yes, is that the government needs to get back to matters of real concern (according to these people). Sadly it seems there is a very real danger of this being the end of mainstream Australia's interest in Indigenous affairs for the foreseeable future.
Yeah. Forgive me for saying so but this outcome is more or less a mandate to not do anything.
There's nothing to forgive, I think that is the reality we are facing. We are still very much in this history wars era where we would rather remain willfully ignorant of our past than confront it and move forward as a modern nation. Australia is stuck in the dark ages when it comes to recognition of its Indigenous peoples and it's embarrassing. Not just because we're so far behind other former colonies, but because we don't seem to think there's anything wrong with that.
Almost everything I’ve seen last night and this morning was about how this wasn’t a result to do nothing and ignore it, it was a result that said go back and rethink because what you suggested wasn’t going to help.
I'm surprised you would so easily believe what was said.
They can't exactly say "yes well this proves there's no appetite to address inequality and that Australians are happy with the status quo."
Instead of course you get these placating which allow everyone to feel as though they've done the right thing while actually doing nothing at all.
Your last paragraph describes most of the reason why people would vote yes on such a toothless virtue signalling change.
This wasn’t “progress or not” though, that’s ridiculous and sore loser talk. Another toothless advisory panel that will be ignored isn’t “progress”.
Real progress would be something like guaranteeing some new seats at the senate to go with the “voice”. Give them an actual voice that gets to decide on things that affect their community. Giving them a “voice” that can and will be ignored will change nothing for the better.
It's not another toothless advisory panel.
It would've been a constitutionally supported advisory, with demonstrated will of the Australian people. That wouldn't be so easily ignored.
It literally would be another toothless advisory panel because it was not going to have any power. Being constitutionally supported just means it has to exist in some unspecified form. There was no “demonstrated will of the Australian people” in it.
You know what does have the demonstrated will of the Australian people? That the proposed voice was a bad idea. That shouldn’t be ignored.
Come on mate, obviously there would have been demonstrated will if the referendum was upheld.