/ 03 August 2023

The Garma Festival mulls the Voice

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with Yothu Yindi Foundation Chair Galarrwuy Yunupingu the Garma Festival in northeast Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Friday, July 29, 2022. The push to get an Indigenous voice in federal parliament is expected to be a key theme at this weekend’s Garma Festival in northeast Arnhem Land. (AAP Image/Aaron Bunch) NO ARCHIVING
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with Yothu Yindi Foundation Chair Galarrwuy Yunupingu the Garma Festival in northeast Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Friday, July 29, 2022. The push to get an Indigenous voice in federal parliament is expected to be a key theme at this weekend’s Garma Festival in northeast Arnhem Land. (AAP Image/Aaron Bunch) NO ARCHIVING

Tomorrow marks the start of the Garma Festival – Australia’s largest annual Indigenous gathering, and there will be plenty of chat around one of the biggest questions the country’s faced in years. At Garma last year, PM Anthony Albanese announced there’d be a “simple and clear” referendum question asking Aussies if they wanted a constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament. Since then, a series of polls over recent months have shown declining support. There’s still no date for the referendum, and Albanese says he won’t do that at Garma – he continues to point to his previous advice that it will be held between October-December. Coalition leader Peter Dutton won’t be there – he’s confirmed he turned down an invitation to attend the festival. Meanwhile, Indigenous leader Professor Megan Davis says while the ‘No’ case “got a head start on us“, the ‘Yes’ case will “turn this ship around” by voting day.

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