The Voice was a referendum held on Saturday 14.10.2023
The ballot paper had two options for voting – Yes & No
The No Vote won by a majority
The referendum was for a proposed constitutional amendment to design an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to the parliament but not in the parliament.
This was a constitutional amendment and not legislative. The legislation would have come later if the referendum passed.
If The Voice was passed it would be a body or group that represents Indigenous peoples from all across Australia. It would provide their input into processes, decisions, policies and laws that affect them. In saying this it was only a constitutional amendment & not legislative so all the structure of how this was fully worked would come later from and when the legislation takes place.
The Voice had ambitions and ideas if passed on improving the outcomes for Indigenous people in areas such as life expectancy, health, education and employment.
The Voice would not have the access or power to veto laws or raise taxes.
Whatever group or structure that was formed from the outcome of this Voice could only advise the government and parliament on matters relating to Indigenous peoples.