Brianna Parkins: The Voice referendum in Australia asks a simple question. But there’s no simple answer

Referendum for Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders has been misunderstood abroad as a straightforward vote on civil rights with all Indigenous people clearly on one sideVoice referendum: Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders are not a single group. The world’s oldest civilisation has more than 250 nations with distinct cultures, languages, beliefs and practices.

This commitment to innovative policymaking and economic strength saw it become the country to which people move from all corners of the globe when they dream of a better life – and helped it shake off the stale, colonial limitations as we moved away from English influence. There are very few in Australia who do not recognise how badly our Indigenous people were treated. The bitterly argued question is instead about the best way to make it right.

This group, chosen by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people, will make representations to the government on issues that affect them. Community elders, leaders and activists have long cited the failure of past policies because they did not take into account the wishes, culture or knowledge of the people they were targeting.

Critics of the Voice have little faith in creating more bureaucracy to address something it has historically been awful at doing – delivering the right kind of help to where it is needed, while advocates say it actually means less bureaucracy by having one body instead of hundreds of individual community groups.

But Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands are not a single group of people. Instead, the world’s oldest civilisation has more than 250 nations with distinct cultures, languages, beliefs and practices – which means there is a large range of stakeholders having to work together. Naturally, not all of them are going to agree. There are also Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people along the spectrum of politics.

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