Australia parliament paves way for Indigenous rights referendum

Australia has passed laws paving the way for a historic referendum on Aboriginal rights, with voters to decide if the Indigenous population gets a "voice" in national policymaking.

The Senate passed the legislation 52-19 on Monday. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is now expected in the coming weeks to set a date for a referendum on the fiercely argued issue.

His centre-left government wants to change the constitution to empower the long-suffering Indigenous population, which is plagued by poorer health, lower levels of education, and higher rates of imprisonment.

Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney, a trailblazing Aboriginal politician, said the referendum would be a defining moment for the country.

"I'm feeling quite emotional about this actually because we will see the campaigns get into full swing," she told national broadcaster ABC on Monday.

If passed, Indigenous Australians -- whose ancestors have lived on the continent for at least 60,000 years -- would have a constitutionally enshrined right to be consulted by the government on laws that impact their communities.

But the debate on the so-called "Voice to Parliament" has become increasingly acrimonious, with conservative opposition leader Peter Dutton claiming it would split the country along racial lines.

"It will have an Orwellian effect where all Australians are equal, but some Australians are more equal than others," he said earlier this year.

The Voice to Parliament is not universally popular among Aboriginal Australians, with some questioning whether it is a bureaucratic fix that will have little real impact.

Independent senator Lidia Thorpe, a prominent Indigenous activist, said it was a "powerless advisory body".

"That's what this is about -- it's appeasing the white guilt in this country," she said before the bill was passed on Monday.

While early polls indicated most Australians would vote in favour, recent surveys suggest support may be slipping as the rancorous political debate takes its toll.

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Source: TRT