October 14 will not be the first time Australians have voted in a constitutional referendum on Indigenous affairs.
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More than half a century ago, in 1967, 91 per cent said Yes. We agreed that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were indeed part of the Australian population and therefore should start being counted in the national census. And we voted Yes to giving the federal government the power to make laws for Indigenous people.
In a few weeks we will again have the chance to make history by being asked to approve a change in the Constitution that finally gives proper recognition to Indigenous people as our original inhabitants and that guarantees them a body through which they can suggest to governments what works best for them.
Despite everything you may have heard, it's that straightforward. The Constitution would specify that the Voice can offer advice but that it is up to the government and the parliament to decide whether to accept or reject it.
And, as part of its normal role, it is parliament that would determine exactly how the Voice is chosen and operates, guided by a detailed and public report provided to the government.
Yet on current opinion polling, a majority of voters will say No. What is the difference between this modest change and the one we made 56 years ago?
In a word: politics. In 1967, the Liberal and Labor parties agreed to support the changes.
This time, many Liberals back a Yes vote but Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and the National Party see the referendum as a chance to inflict damage on the Albanese government by scaring voters with a long list of unfounded claims.
According to former Indigenous Affairs Minister Ken Wyatt, who resigned from the Liberal Party over Dutton's stance, if Josh Frydenberg had become leader after the election, as was expected, rather than losing his seat, he would have given the referendum bipartisan support.
Twice in recent weeks, people have mentioned to me that they have heard that Indigenous people would be able to take away private land if the referendum gets up.
Complete bunkum. For one, that's not possible under the present law, as determined by the High Court in the Mabo judgement in 1992, which excluded private land from native title claims.
But let's just pretend that the Voice offered that advice and the government and the parliament decided to follow it. They would be committing instant electoral suicide, going against the wishes of the vast majority of Australians.
A Voice will not be some silver wand waving all Indigenous problems away. But it may just help design better programs.
The evidence is that when First Nations people have real input into decision-making, when they offer advice and it is listened to, it makes a difference. During COVID, goverments listened to Indigenous communities and followed their advice, with the result that there were fewer infections and deaths than in the rest of the population.
Mike Steketee is a former political correspondent in Canberra and Sydney and now farms near Goulburn.
