A proposal intended to give greater political say to Indigenous people in Australia, dubbed ‘The Voice’, has been rejected in a referendum across all six states.
The proposal was to amend the constitution to recognise First Nations people and create a body for them to advise the government.
The ‘No’ vote led ‘Yes’ 60% to 40%.
The BBC quoted Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as saying: ‘When you aim high, sometimes you fall short. We understand and respect that we have.’
Opposition leader Peter Dutton said the result was ‘good for our country’.
According to the BBC, supporters said that entrenching the Indigenous peoples into the constitution would unite Australia and usher in a new era.
The ‘No’ leaders said that the idea was divisive, would create special ‘classes’ of citizens where some were more equal than others, and the new advisory body would slow government decision-making.
Albanese called for unity following the divisive debate. In an address to the country, he said he respected the vote and ‘the democratic process that has delivered it’.
He added: ‘This moment of disagreement does not define us, and it will not divide us, we are not Yes voters or No voters, we are all Australians. And it is as Australians together, that we must take our country beyond this debate, without forgetting why we had it in the first place.
‘Too often in the life of our nation, the disadvantage confronting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has been relegated to the margins. This referendum and my government has put it right at the centre.’