Early voting begins in historic Australian referendum -- SAUDI GAZETTE

SYDNEY — Australia has begun early voting in a landmark referendum on enacting an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. If approved, the reform would recognize Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the country's constitution and establish a permanent body for them to advise the government. The country has not had a successful referendum in almost 50 years. Opinion polls had long-shown support for the proposal, but as the vote nears the No side appears to be leading. While the majority of Australians will vote on 14 October, those who are unable to can vote at select polling centres right across the country from Tuesday. The Voice to Parliament was recommended by a historic document in 2017 called the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Drafted by more than 250 Indigenous leaders, the statement is considered the best — though not unanimous — call to action for reforms on issues affecting First Nations Australians. It also lays out a longer process of treaty-making and truth-telling. But the Voice proposal has become the subject of fierce debate in Australia, and a lightning rod for misinformation and racist abuse. Its supporters say it will lead to better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who face lower life expectancy, and disproportionately poorer health and education outcomes than other Australians. But those against it argue — among other things — that the Voice is a largely symbolic gesture which will fail to enact change, and that it could undermine Australia's existing government structures. For the referendum to succeed, a majority of Australians need to vote yes, but there also needs to be majority support in at least four of Australia's six states. The composition, functions and powers of the body, whose advice would not be binding, would then be designed and debated by the parliament. Recent polling has shown a steady — yet dramatic — decline in public support for the Voice, but one poll on Tuesday showed the Yes side making ground for the first time in months. Australia last held a referendum in 1999, when it rejected the opportunity to become a republic. Only eight of Australia's 44 referendums have been successful -- the most recent in 1977 -- and none have passed without bipartisan support. — BBC

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PCG: China’s bullying in West Philippine Sea undermines international law --- Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — Letting China sustain its aggression in the West Philippine Sea would make other countries doubt the strength of international law currently being asserted by the Philippines, Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. “Allowing China to blatantly disregard the established rules-based order threatens the very foundation that we all depend on,” he wrote in a post on X last Tuesday. He added, “If we permit this, countries worldwide may forget why this order was created in the first place. Nations could begin to doubt the significance of adhering to international law if powerful bullies can easily violate it.” Tarriela also said defiance of other countries to a rules-based order would result in the prevalence of cruelty. He wrote, “This could lead us back to a time when might makes right, undermining the global structures that keep human greed, savagery and barbarism in check. Such a scenario would not only invite challenges from aggressive ...
Read more

China ships maintain presence in key West Philippine Sea areas --- Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star

STAR / Michael Varcas MANILA, Philippines — While Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have decreased in number, they have maintained a presence in three key land features where naval and coast guard ships have intensified operations in the past seven days, according to the Philippine Navy. Latest monitoring by the Philippine Navy showed armed ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) maintaining a menacing presence around the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, Panatag Shoal and Escoda Shoal. According to the Philippine Navy, there are 17 Chinese military vessels and 28 China Coast Guard (CCG) boats spotted inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between Sept. 23 and 30, or one vessel more than in the previous week Sept.17-23. Five of the warships were seen roaming around the vicinity of Escoda Shoal, along with 10 CCG vessels and 12 maritime militia vessels (MMVs). There are also two PLAN ships in Ayungin Shoal as well as 10 CCG boats and 12...
Read more

Social media seen as cause of rising intermarriages --- Helen Flores - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) sees social media as the main reason for the rising number of Filipinos marrying or becoming partners of foreign nationals. In 2022, the CFO recorded 6,854 marriages or partnerships with foreign nationals, a 40.1 percent increase from the 4,891 “intermarriages” recorded in 2021. “First of all, what we see in the increase in the marriage rate of Filipinos or Filipinos with foreign partners is because of social media, (that) is number one; matchings; letters, introduction of their friends,” CFO chairperson Romulo Arugay said at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing yesterday. Arugay said the agency has been registering a high number of intermarriages since 2007, but the figures went down during the COVID-19 pandemic. From over 6,500 Filipinos who married foreign nationals, only 600 are men, he said. Most of them are married to Americans, Japanese, Germans, Canadians and Australians, Arugay said. Arugay warned Fi...
Read more