Australiaʼs Senate has passed legislation that paves the way for a referendum on whether to recognize the countryʼs indigenous population in the constitution.
Reuters writes about it.
Parliamentarians have voted to bring forward a referendum to recognize Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the continentʼs first peoples and give them the right to vote in the legislature, i.e. Parliament.
Aboriginal people make up about 3.2% of Australiaʼs nearly 26 million population. However, they are inferior to others in most socio-economic indicators and are not mentioned in the constitution. They were marginalized by the British colonists and did not gain full voting rights until the 1960s.
To change the constitution in Australia, the government must secure a double majority in a referendum, meaning more than 50% of voters across the country, and a majority of voters in at least four of the six states must support the changes.