Indigenous leaders devastated by the outcome of last Saturday’s Voice to Parliament referendum are set to end their week of silence this weekend, but what comes next remains unclear.
The referendum – the result of years of consultation and the express request of Indigenous Australians through the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart – was overwhelmingly defeated last Saturday.Anthony Albanese and Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney have spent the week maintaining their disappointment, but respect for the result, and reiterating their commitment to closing the gap.
Indigenous leaders took a ‘week of silence’ after the referendum. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Monique Harmer In response, Mr Albanese said he “accept the outcome of the referendum” and respected that Indigenous people were taking the time to mourn. Mr Albanese labelled it a “political stunt” designed to “whip up outrage”, adding that he would not make child abuse a partisan issue.It was a sentiment shared by renegade Liberal backbencher Bridget Archer – a survivor of child sexual abuse – who crossed the floor to vote against her party.
“We don’t want to divide the country by race, yet we’re singling out abuse in Indigenous communities,” she said. “Child abuse is far too prevalent in Australia full stop. Singling out Aboriginal families and communities is harmful and puts ideology before evidence”.
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