The Voice referendum: Newspoll shows loss for Yes case as No has majority of votes and states

Support for a Indigenous Voice to Parliament has drastically slumped with the Yes vote facing defeat on both the key referendum measures for the first time.

In a dramatic blow for the Albanese government’s cherished policy centrepiece, the Voice is now attracting less than 50 per cent of support from overall voters with the Yes vote only appearing to be ahead in two states.

The referendum to create the Voice as a means of constitutional recognition for Indigenous people can only be passed with a majority of votes and also must be approved by a majority of states.

Overall support for the Voice has plunged three points to just 43 per cent, according to the latest Newspoll of 2303 voters conducted between June 16 and June 24.

Subsequently the No vote rose four points, to 47 per cent, putting it ahead for the time since Newspoll began tracking support.

Equally alarming for the Yes case is that four of six states are now polling as favouring a No vote.

Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania are all on a trajectory to reject the Voice.

Support for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament has plunged in a new poll, which shows the No vote leading with voters overall and in a majority of states

Only Victoria and NSW recorded a majority backing the Yes vote, according to an aggregated Newspoll of 3852 voters conducted between May 31 and June 24.

Both Labor and Coalition voters moved into the No camp but there was also a steep seven-point drop in support from 35 to 49-year-old voters with the Yes vote collapsing from 53 per cent to 44 per cent.

Support from women is also below 50 per cent and only rises above that for university graduates aged between 18 to 34.

Victorian voters are the strongest backers of the ‘Yes’ case, with 48 per cent in favour and only 41 per cent against.

The split in NSW is 46 per cent for and 41 per cent against but there are 13 per cent still undecided, which is the highest such number among the states.

Queensland was the state most opposed with ‘No’ vote garnering 54 per cent against just 40 per cent in favour.

Western Australia reported 52 per cent of voters being against compared to 39 per cent in support, while in Tasmania the ‘No’ vote was at 48 per cent compared to 43 per cent for Yes.

South Australia was most evenly split state with 46 per cent against and 45 per cent for the change.

The latest results are set to encourage Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to amplify his call to scrap the referendum, despite the legislation enabling it passing this week.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been forced on the defensive as questions mount about the details of the Voice

Mr Dutton suggested the ‘Voice is going down’ and said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese should cut his losses because the referendum, which will be held at date yet to be set, was only going to divide the country.

The Liberal leader questioned whether campaigning for a Voice to Parliament was the best use of government time amidst a crippling cost of living crisis.

‘[People] can’t afford their mortgages, and you’ve got the government running off on this frolic on the Voice and these other agendas that aren’t producing national unity,’ Mr Dutton told Sydney radio station 2GB on Thursday.

Mr Albanese has assured the public his vision is a ‘modest’ request which will have little impact on the lives of most Australians, but would be fundamental in bringing hope to First Nations people.

However, public pronouncements by a prominent ‘Yes’ campaigner and architect of the Voice have contradicted this by setting out a radical vision of how the body would shape Australian life.

Unionist Thomas Mayo, who is one of the signatories of Voice template document the Uluru Statement from the Heart, previously said he envisions the body ushering in ‘rent’ for Indigenous people and the abolishment of ‘harmful colonial institutions’.

Thomas Mayo (pictured left with Indigenous Affairs minister Linda Burney) has become one of the most prominent campaigners in the Voice after contributing to the creation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart in 2017

A series of tweets dating back to 2018 from Mr Mayo show him pushing for an eventual treaty that would see land handed back to First Nations people.

Members of the government have also consistently struggled to precisely answer questions on the Voice, what its scope would be and how it would function.

In a tense interview that aired on Channel 10’s The Project on Wednesday Mr Albanese said members of the Voice ‘would be elected’.

However, this is not the advice previously given, which states members will be appointed by Indigenous communities according to their customs.

What we know about the Voice to Parliament so far

Here, Daily Mail Australia looks at some of the key questions about the Voice so far, and how the government has tackled them:

What kind of advice can the Voice provide the Parliament and Government?

The Voice will advise on matters that directly relate to Indigenous people.

It will respond to requests made by the government, while also having the power to engage proactively on matters that they believe impact them.

The group will have its own resources to research matters and engage with communities at a grassroots level to ensure it is best reflecting their needs.

How will members of the Voice be chosen?

Members of the Voice will be appointed by Indigenous communities and will serve on the committee for a fixed period of time, yet to be determined.

The way the communities choose their representatives will be agreed upon by the local communities in tandem with the government as part of a ‘post referendum process’ to ensure cultural legitimacy.

Who can become a member of the committee?

Members of the Voice must be Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

They will be chosen from across each state and territory and have balanced gender representation nationally.

The government has also guaranteed that young people will be included in the committee to ensure representation across the broad scope of the community.

Will the Voice be transparent?

The government states the Voice will be subject to scrutiny and reporting requirements to ensure it is held accountable and remains transparent.

Voice members will be held to standards of the National Anti-Corruption Commission and will be sanctioned or removed from the committee if there are any findings of misconduct.

Will the Voice have veto power?

No.

Will the Voice work independently of other government bodies?

The committee must respect the work and role of existing organisations, the government says.

Will the Voice handle any funds?

The Voice will not directly manage any money or deliver any services to the community.

Its sole role will be in making representations about improving existing government programs and services, and advising on new ideas coming through the parties.

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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk