Shirley Chowdhary’s Post

Today marks the anniversary of the 1967 Referendum in Australia, a pivotal moment in history that altered the Constitution to count Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the census. The passing of this Referendum was a huge milestone for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights. However, reflecting on this event also highlights the ongoing challenges faced, especially in light of the recent no vote at the 2023 Voice to Parliament Referendum. There is clearly still much work to be done to address systemic issues and barriers impacting First Peoples. It is crucial to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' unique cultures and support their initiatives for true equality and reconciliation. Read more at: https://hubs.la/Q02ytfX60 #KarabenaConsulting #Karabena #1967Referendum #Equality #Reconciliation #Referendum

🚨 New (solo-authored) publication alert! [Link in comments] In this paper, published in Irish Political Studies (IPS), I look at how parties behave in referendum campaigns in the Republic of Ireland, specifically from a campaign finance perspective 💰 I looked at votes dating back to 1995, and formulate some preliminary hypotheses on what drives party participation in referendum campaigns based on a comparative analysis of 5 votes since 2015. 🗳 Some key results: 💸 Even though Ireland does not limit campaign spending, parties do not come close to their electoral expenditures. There is also no great disparity between smaller and larger parties, even though the Irish regulatory framework seems to offer a more beneficial environment for parties with larger support bases. 📢 Parties seem more likely to participate in referendum campaigns on moral and social issues (such as abortion or marriage equality), and in general in those votes that are highly salient in the public sphere. While this might seem quite an intuitive finding, it goes against the common belief that parties refrain from participating in these votes in order to not get burned by controversial topics 🤔 💹 Parties with more resources spend more, and more often, than those with less resources available. However, there seems to be a mediating effect from public salience of the referendum topic; smaller parties might overcome the limiting effect of their resources when highly salient topics are up for vote. This paper is the result of a research stay at Trinity College Dublin, particularly Trinity Research in Social Sciences (TRiSS). Many thanks to Peter Stone for making this possible, as well as to Theresa Reidy for her feedback in the earlier stages of the manuscript!

In today's mail ... "I’m excited to share with you today an update on our ongoing campaign to end Canada’s equalization program. We reignited the idea here in Alberta, we pushed for an equalization referendum, and then we won that referendum. It’s now official Alberta government policy to abolish equalization. Since then, we've been working tirelessly to spread the message beyond Alberta. Recently, those efforts took a huge step forward. First, in May, Newfoundland and Labrador launched a legal challenge against the constitutionality of the equalization formula. Newfoundland and Labrador Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Attorney General John Hogan pointed out that a lack of consultation had left the Province no choice but to take legal action. “The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is challenging the current equalization formula as being unconstitutional. When the Government of Canada dismissed our concerns and extended the equalization formula until 2029, we were left with no other alternative except to launch a court challenge.” Next, the Saskatchewan government announced they would be supporting Newfoundland and Labrador’s case. Then, last week, British Columbia Premier David Eby announced that his province would also be supporting Newfoundland and Labrador’s constitutional challenge. That's right - even the NDP in British Columbia are opposed to equalization now! In fact, Eby went a step further and said that BC is considering not only just supporting the existing case, but potentially filing a separate lawsuit of their own. His announcement came during the annual Council of the Federation meetings in Halifax - a gathering of Canada’s 13 premiers: "I will acknowledge it is very hard for British Columbians to be paying into a program right now at a time when they are facing serious cost of living concerns," said Eby. "Every person in every province deserves high quality health care and schools and so on. But that is clearly not what the program is doing anymore," he continued. The equalization program has once again become a flashpoint in federal-provincial relations across the country - tearing a hole in national unity and forcing the provinces to launch legal challenges in an attempt to ease the divide. It's incredibly pleasing to see premiers of all political stripes coming together in opposition to this failed policy. This is proof that our hard work is paying off, and that our strategy is working. For updates and more information ... https://lnkd.in/gXWWwCk8

One year on from the failed referendum, Kimberley leaders remain resolute in their commitment to a future where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices are heard and genuinely influence decision-making. Kimberley Aboriginal people show remarkable resilience, moving forward despite the challenges, disappointment and setbacks. In Bardi language we say: Iwooloongan Iyoordin biinmal ningamoord ambooriny, Tide come in, tide go out. We are strong people. We know that 77.5% of remote Kimberley communities voted yes to a Voice to Parliament. We also know that our members remain committed to the need for a Kimberley Aboriginal Regional Body, one that works directly with government on the matters that affect our lives, our rights and our futures. The KLC continues to support the key reform concepts of the Uluru Statement, and firmly believes that a process to oversee both treaty and truth-telling is critical to achieving justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. To date, there has not been a nationally coordinated process of truth-telling about Australia’s history of colonisation. In the words of former KLC CEO Nolan Hunter and academic Damien Freeman, ”this has been one of the biggest historical barriers to genuine reconciliation in Australia". Linking agreement-making with truth-telling provides the potential for substantive justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. While truth-telling can shine light on the wrongs of the past and their contemporary effects, agreements – or treaties – provide a practical way to address, redress and compensate for those wrongs. Agreements can recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s identities and political status, provide redress for past wrongs, and enshrine commitments from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and governments. They can be vehicles for economic and social empowerment and self-determination. To pave a way forward, we urge our Kimberley community and the rest of Australia to stand strong through these challenging times - the ebbs and flows of the tide - and rise with us. Together, we can close the gap to create a more just and equitable future for everyone in our region and our nation. - Statement by KLC CEO Tyronne Garstone  

Today marks the anniversary of the 2023 Voice Referendum, a day when 60% of Australians said no to recognising First Nations people and giving us a voice in our own affairs. In 2023, all we asked for was to be seen, to be written into the nation’s birth certificate. The constitution, written in 1901, excluded any recognition of First Nations—the Firstborn of this land, who have lived and thrived here for over 65,000 years. I truly believed Australia was ready for this. But referendums aren’t easy. Of the 44 since 1901, only eight have been successful. The most significant was in 1967, allowing us to be counted as citizens and giving the government legal power to make laws for us. In 2023, we weren’t asking for much more—just recognition and a voice in decisions that affect us. But still, the nation said no. It was a sad day. We, as Bininj and Yolngu people, do not deny the world around us. We see you, Balanda people, Gadiya people. But 60% of you chose not to see us. You chose not to correct history. You chose to keep us silent. And that is on you. It is my hope that most of you who voted no did so out of confusion, fear, or uncertainty, stirred by the powerful “no” campaign, rather than a rejection of reconciliation or refusal to acknowledge our country’s ancient history. Regardless, as a voice of reason and optimism, I will not lie down and pretend that our existence and voices don’t matter. In 1803, Matthew Flinders referred to Indigenous people as “Australians,” long before this country was named. We have always been the first Australians, and we will continue to stand strong despite this setback. This morning, I put on a 10 kg weight vest and went for a long walk, carrying the weight of my ancestors on my shoulders—their hopes and aspirations. I will never see that as a burden but as a gift that I carry proudly. Thank you to the 6.5 million allies who voted yes. Our fight for recognition and justice continues. We rise again. #VoiceReferendum #IndigenousRights #alwayswasalwayswillbe #aboriginal

An investigation by The Weekend Australian into the referendum fallout has revealed: • Internal Yes research showed awareness levels of Indigenous disadvantage only reached 50 per cent by referendum day; • Albanese received input from Yes23 co-chair Danny Gilbert on the voice proposal he took to the 2022 Garma Festival; • Yes23 funding vehicle Australians for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition maintained $2.3m in cash and cash equivalents following the referendum; • Yes23 campaigners and their pollsters at CT Group knew support for the voice was soft even at its mid-60s peak in late 2022; • After meeting with Dutton in February 2023, referendum working group member and Indigenous activist Marcia Langton declared he would break bipartisanship; and • The future of the Morrison-era Coalition of Peaks is being questioned by senior Indigenous leaders who are demanding Albanese not walk away from the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Closing the gap Davis points to the Productivity Commission’s February report that found a “voice or political representation chosen by Aboriginal people was integral to Closing the Gap and change”. The commission has been damning about lack of progress under Closing the Gap signed by all states and territories in 2020. Davis said there had been examples this year of Indigenous people not “being at the table on many laws and policies and many examples of government ignoring the legitimate voice of First Nations”. “This issue is not going away,” she said. “Closing the Gap is a good example of where things are deteriorating. Many of my colleagues … say governments are not committed to Closing the Gap.” The Coalition of Peaks – a group now made up of more than 80 member organisations – was established under the Morrison government in 2020 with the backing of states and territories. Under the agreement, the group was effectively made the unelected representative body for Indigenous communities for shared decisions on Closing the Gap measures. The Productivity Commission says this has not happened and there must be “a paradigm shift” from government. Its fourth annual data report published in July found Australia was on track to meet only four of 17 targets by the end of the national agreement in 2031. Indigenous leaders and others contacted by The Weekend Australian all privately acknowledged the organisations that made up the Coalition of Peaks did important work but expressed concern about its ability to give fearless and coherent advice. One described the it as amorphous. Another said it could not possibly be a voice because the members are almost all CEOs of organisations reliant on government funding.

NATIONAL SORRY DAY With Sorry Day upon us, and seven months passed since the Voice Referendum, I’ve been moved to reflect on where we are now. You will have noticed how active the NO voters who agreed ‘we need to do something, just not this’ have been. There’s been a Royal Commission launched into conditions in remote communities. Senator Price, mooted at the time as a ‘future Prime Minister’ has risen to play a significant role in the Opposition’s far-reaching policy proposals, and the Government has shown their commitment by staying the course signalled by the Referendum in the first place. Of course none of this is true and the almost total radio silence on these issues is both underwhelming and unsurprising. So where are we now? I was told by a student yesterday that she experiences racism on a daily basis, instances of overt racism are on the rise, and colleagues claim to have different versions of history they adhere to (ones which tend to make the white guys look good). The LNP in Queensland withdrew from the Truth and Treaty process (having ‘listened’ to the voters in North Queensland - just not the black ones who overwhelmingly supported the Voice). It would be easy to think we are lost - if we didn’t have tens of thousands of years of evidence of the resilience of our First Peoples! The next logical step seems to be truth-telling. The optimist in me says most non-Indigenous Australians simply don’t understand the process and implications of colonisation. The pessimist says they know but they don’t care. But while I’m an optimist at heart, I’m not a naive optimist. If we are to embark on Truth-Telling, a process which will be challenging and damaging, then the Truth-Telling needs Truth-Listening in equal measure! And make no mistake the Truth-Listening will be equally challenging and damaging. But it is necessary. If we are to genuinely move forward towards reconciliation, we need to do so from a place informed by truth, with acknowledgement of the past, and with genuine commitment to an improved Australia for all Australians. Non-Indigenous Australia can no longer take a laidback attitude towards reconciliation. Reconciliation can only be achieved with genuine commitment, from everybody. We might be famous for saying ‘she’ll be right’, but let’s face it, since colonisation, she never has been!

Have you ever voted in a referendum? As a Swiss citizen, I get to vote 2-3 times a year on various public and other initiatives that are then acted upon by Parliament. As a Canadian citizen, I get to check a box once every 4-5 years for the person/party running in my local riding and cross my fingers hoping they do what they have promised, without them having any obligation to do so. We also don’t have proportional representation, so the majority of votes are cast aside. This needs to change. The Swiss system is not perfect. For example, my mom was never able to vote in Switzerland growing up because women only received the national vote in 1971. Even worse, my “home canton” of Appenzell Ausserrhoden only gave women the right to vote in local elections in 1989, while Appenzell Innerrhoden delayed until 1990. Yes, that is correct, 1990. However, for all their faults these are democracies none the less, and must be strongly defended (and improved and strengthened) in the face of rapidly rising global anti-democratic ideology and authoritarianism. If we take our democracies for granted, our democracies will be taken from us. Montreal Institute For Genocide and Human Rights Studies Fair Vote Canada Journal of Democracy Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) Freedom House National Democratic Institute (NDI) Kyle Matthews Marie Lamensch National Endowment for Democracy #Democracy CyberPeace Institute The Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University Toronto Metropolitan University #vote #democracy

🚨 Scottish Independence Polling — 10 Years On 🚨 In exclusive research for The Sunday Times and The Times, Opinium reveals that if a second independence referendum were held today, the margin between Yes and No would be far closer, with just a 2-point lead for the Union (No: 47%, Yes: 45%). Support among younger voters for independence is particularly strong, with 63% of 16 to 34-year-olds backing independence. Despite the narrowing of the No lead since 2014, there is relatively little that Scots think would actually improve under independence according to many Scottish voters. Independence and its impact remain divisive: 47% believe tax rates would be worse, and 42% expect Scotland’s defence and security to be worse. The full insights, to be published later this week, suggest that the ideal solution for most seems to be remaining in the Union. But this means it is up to Unionists to put forward a positive vision for what an empowered Scotland within the UK looks like. Stay tuned for Opinium's full insights, written by myself and Kai Hain, in a report this Wednesday, marking the 10th anniversary of the referendum. In the meantime, you can explore the published data tables for the current polling here: https://lnkd.in/exbUSWYu See the article in The Sunday Times here: https://lnkd.in/etku6rCS #Opinium #Scotland #IndyRef #ScottishIndependence #Polling #SundayTimes

In my National Flag Day message last year, I wrote about the then forthcoming Voice referendum stating that I hoped our national flag – a symbol of one country and one people – was on the minds of Australians when they went to vote. On 14 October 2023, millions of Australians rejected the divisive Voice referendum in what was a resounding result. Australians sent a clear message to the Prime Minister: they do not want our country to be divided by ancestry and race. On this National Flag Day, let us look to our one flag to revive our national unity and rediscover our national confidence in testing times. Let us dismiss those voices that are determined to define and divide us on the basis of our differences: our race, sex, religion, class and more besides. Instead, let us renew our focus on the far more meaningful things that we have in common: our love of family, our appreciation for friends and colleagues, our attachment to community, our aspiration, compassion and optimism, our respect for law and liberty, our devotion to our country, and our desire to protect our great democracy and its values. On this 123rd anniversary of our national flag, may we celebrate it as proud Australians. Patriotism is about much more than a love for and loyalty to our country. It is about gratitude to our forebears for forging the achievement of modern Australia. It is about custodianship of their legacy and seeking to build upon it. It is about bequeathing to future generations of Australians a country better than the one we inherited. Today, may we remember the time-transcending meaning of our flag and the duty and unity it inspires.