According to David Flint, a senior Australian jurist, the upcoming Voice referendum in Australia will face a bigger defeat than the republic referendum in 1999. Flint, a former Chairman of the Australian Press Council, made these remarks during the annual conference of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy on October 9. The referendum, scheduled for October 14, involves changes to the Constitution to include recognition for Indigenous peoples and the establishment of an Indigenous advisory body in Parliament.
In the 1999 referendum, Australians voted to uphold the constitutional monarchy, with nearly 55 percent voting against establishing a republic. Flint believes that the Albanese government failed to convince Australians that a constitutional amendment for the Voice was necessary. He cites the standards set by Sir John Quick and Robert Garran in The Annotated Constitution of the Australian Commonwealth (1901), stating that constitutional amendments should only occur when there is a consensus for change.
Flint also criticizes the main supporters of the Voice for refusing to fully engage in debate with the other side. He explains that in the 1999 republic referendum, there were regular debates between constitutional monarchists and republicans, and believes that this open discussion should be present again. Furthermore, Flint warns that the Makarrata commission, established by Indigenous people under the Uluru Declaration of the Heart, will gain even more power once the Voice is constitutionally recognized. He expresses concern over proposals for a separate system of justice based on race.
Former Prime Minister John Howard also opposes the Voice referendum, stating that it would divide citizens based on race and undermine the principle of a single citizenship. He argues that although the Australian constitution may have flaws, it has worked well over the last century in promoting stability, cohesion, and racial harmony.
In addition, former Prime Minister Tony Abbott suggests that there are neo-Marxist factors behind the push for the Voice. He believes that some proponents of the Voice are influenced by a desire to pull down established institutions and that Marxist influence has been effective in persuading the middle class to attack the system in the name of ending patriarchy or promoting equality. Abbott emphasizes the need to appreciate the good and bad in history and acknowledges the positive impact of British settlement in Australia.
According to a Newspoll conducted on October 9, support for the Voice has decreased to 34 percent, while opposition has risen to 58 percent.