The Coalition is suggesting that Australia should hold a second referendum to include Indigenous Australians in the Constitution if the Indigenous Voice to Parliament does not pass on October 14. This proposal comes after polling indicated that 53 percent of Australians do not plan to support the upcoming vote, with an additional nine percent remaining undecided. Shadow Foreign Minister Simon Birmingham expressed hope that if the Voice referendum fails, another referendum on simple constitutional recognition for Indigenous people could be held in conjunction with a federal election.
Senator Birmingham stated that the Coalition has long supported constitutional recognition of Indigenous peoples and hopes to build broad consensus and support across the country for this issue. Liberal Party Leader Peter Dutton pledged to hold a second referendum that would include recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the Constitution, excluding the Indigenous Voice advisory body proposed for the October vote. Dutton believes that constitutional recognition, separate from the Indigenous Voice, would be supported by up to 80 percent of Australians and would be a unifying moment for the country.
Critics, however, have dismissed the idea of a second referendum. Key cross-bench senator Jacqie Lambie called it “absolutely idiotic” and criticized the Coalition for not acting on their policy of constitutional recognition for over a decade. She also criticized the Albanese government for doing a poor job of selling the Indigenous Voice. Lambie warned that if the Voice referendum fails, the government would be held personally responsible for the unintended hurt it would leave behind.