Indigenous Voice: Why is Australia looking to hold a referendum?

Australia's prime minister Anthony Albanese shared plans for the vote while standing alongside several Indigenous leaders

The Australian government has set out plans for a vote later this year which could see some big changes to the country's constitution.

It's seeking to introduce the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, a formal body for Aboriginal Australians, also known as Indigenous people, to give advice on laws.

A vote, or referendum, would need to be held in order for this body to be recognised in the country's constitution, which are the principles and rules the nation is governed by.

Australia's prime minister Anthony Albanese shared the government's plans for the vote on Thursday.

He announced the wording for the question which will be put to Australians who will be required to vote on the matter.

"A proposed law to alter the constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this proposed alteration?"

The prime minister was visibly upset while speaking on the proposed referendum

The prime minister argued it would be a "very simple" but "momentous" change and urged Australians to back the vote.

"For many... this moment has been a very long time in the making," the prime minister said during a press conference where he stood alongside several Indigenous leaders supporting the proposed changes.

"Yet they have shown such patience and optimism through this process, and that spirit of cooperation and thoughtful, respectful dialogue has been so important at arriving at this point in such a united fashion."

If approved, it'll be the first time a change has been made to the constitution in nearly 50 years.

What is the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice?

The Indigenous Peoples have been in Australia for 60,000 years

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice was first recommended in 2017.

More than 250 Indigenous leaders came together at a summit to discuss how to best recognise the Indigenous people, who were the first to live in Australia.

The leaders called for an official voice in parliament which would be recognised in the country's constitution. This was was recommended in a document called the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

The change would give indigenous people in Australia the opportunity to provide advice on Australian laws, policies, and important matters affecting their lives.

However, the body would only be advisory, meaning it wouldn't be able to overrule parliament on decisions around legislation and policies.

Why is the Indigenous Voice vote so important?

The vote is a big deal for lots of Indigenous Australians who aren't currently recognised in Australia's 122-year-old constitution.

The group, which makes up around 3.2% of Australia's 25.7 million population, has faced many problems.

Indigenous people weren't given the right to vote until the 1960s. They generally have shorter life expectancies, poorer education outcomes and poorer health compared to non-Indigenous Australians.

Lots of people argue this is largely down indigenous people not being asked about what solutions can be put in place to best help their community.

"Non-Indigenous people [are] making decisions about communities they have never visited and people they do not know," wrote one professor who signed the an Uluru Statement.

Why are some people for and others against the Voice vote?

Young children holding up the Aboriginal flag

Lots of people support calls for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, but other argue Indigenous people are already represented fairly in parliament.

The Australian parliament currently has 11 Indigenous lawmakers who represent 4.8% of the total number of MPs, a slightly higher percentage than the Indigenous Australian population nationwide.

However, supporters of the Voice argue that MPs represent specific constituencies, which are different areas of the country, and not necessarily Indigenous interests more generally.

Other critics say the new body could act like a third part of the Australian parliament and could potentially prevent certain legislation being passed, but the government has ruled this out.

Not all Indigenous people support the change either. Some say the Uluru Statement, in which the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice was recommended, doesn't represent all Aboriginal Australians.

Another argument is that is the introduction of the Voice would only be symbolic and is unlikely to lead to actual change. Some believe money could be better spent on immediate solutions to help the Indigenous population.