Regional poll on voice shows no vote rising

THE yes vote for the upcoming referendum on the Indigenous voice to Parliament is falling in regional and rural Australia, polling has shown.

An online poll of 10,131 voters conducted by Australian Community Media’s research arm found the overall no vote was 55 per cent against 38 per cent for yes and seven per cent undecided.

In the regions, the no’ vote was 57 per cent and the ‘yes’ vote was 35 per cent, with eight per cent undecided.

The poll of people in 14 east coast regional and metro locations included Ballarat, Bendigo and Warrnambool in Victoria along with Newcastle, Wollongong, Tamworth, Orange, Albury and Wagga Wagga in NSW, and Launceston and Burnie in Tasmania, and Canberra

The pole was conducted from 16-26 June.

It also found 72 per cent of respondents felt the Federal Government was not doing enough to explain the voice and how it would work.

Men were more likely to vote ‘no’ than women, with 65 per cent of male poll respondents signalling their opposition to the voice against 45 per cent of women.

The Federal Government is on track to hold the referendum in the last quarter of 2023.

The voice to parliament will be able to advise parliament and the government on issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The referendum’s success depends on majority support across the country and in four of six Australian states.

The question to be put in the referendum is: “A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this proposed alteration?”

– AAP