What is at Stake with the Vote Yes Campaign in Australia?

The vote yes campaign kicks off at the end of this month. The goal is to give indigenous people a direct say in the Australian parliament and in doing so give them control over affairs that affect their lives.

As with everything the issue does not seem to be so clear cut. There are concerns over what this could really mean for the country.

The question on a lot of minds right now seems to be will it unite the nation or divide it?

The Labour Party supports this move while the Nationals are opposed. Liberal Leader Peter Dutton is weighing up whether the party should take a firm “no” stance or allow MPs a conscience vote.

This proposal will require an amendment to the constitution to see it up and running. It has been confirmed that if the bill is passed by the end of June, this will mean Australians could be voting in the referendum as early as August; or as late as November.

The no votes are saying we object to the proposal until we see the fine print; while the yes side seems to demand to know the fine print of their objections. So stalemate it is.

Even the indigenous vote is divided as some say the proposal does not go far enough. They call this concession crumbs under the table; and too little too late. Some sentiments are radical as they proclaim burn it all down. Then there is the battle cry Death to Australia.

The demand by the Australian (conservative) liberal party to know what this ‘voice’ will mean for the country is not just a red herring. It has liberal teeth on edge as a matter of fact.

Those pushing the yes vote say parliament is the one that will get to decide this; after a positive referendum result. So a misnomer in other words.

Polls show that support for the yes vote has dropped from 53% to 47% in four months. Some pundits doubt the yes proposal will garner enough support to win at this stage.

The National Parties or the more right wing parties are against the plan as is the Greens but for different reasons of course. With the former crime and grime are an issue with a place like Alice Springs a good example of this.

The Greens are being their normally principled selves and pushing for better reforms. So reform for the sake of reform is just not an option.

Supporters of this plan are betting their fortunes on the youth vote. And it seems as if it is all they have at this point. Though even this is uncertain.

A defeat in the minds of the yes campaign vote will only prove that Australians are an intransigent bunch. And racist too.