Top No campaigners are shocked by calls for Australia to vote in another referendum on Aboriginal people in the constitution
Indigenous No’s leading campaigner, Warren Mundine, has called for a second referendum to recognize Aboriginal people in the constitution.
Speaking to ABC radio on Monday, he said he would love another vote – but be stripped of the Voice – and said most Australians would too.
“Look, I’d love that, but the majority of Australia … our poll tells us they want to do that too,” he said.
“But the issue we have, and we all know this is the leadership of the Aboriginal community, the other people there, they don’t want to.”
He said the nation wanted constitutional recognition for Aboriginal people, but in a different form than the Indigenous Voice in Parliament, which was soundly defeated in Saturday’s referendum.
Warren Mundine was heckled and jeered by Yes campaigners as he cast his referendum vote at a polling center in Willoughby on Sydney’s lower north shore on Friday.
Mr Mundine said the nation was focused on delivering a solution that promised clear results with ‘certain outcomes, with certain timescales’.
He added: “The Australian people have made it quite clear what the answer is.
“During the campaign I heard from everyone. They wanted to see Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Constitution as Australia’s first people.
“They rejected that and wanted governments to have practical results for Indigenous people, find the billions and billions of dollars that we spend every year.
“They want to have a certain result with certain time frames.”
But the move was rejected by Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil, who said a return to the polls would soon be considered.
“I think asking literally two days after a referendum when the next referendum is going to be is a bit forward looking,” she told Radio National.
“I think we should take a break now.”
More to follow
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