The Voice

[tonyo]

The voting patterns turned out to be pretty interesting, both sides post the vote are spinning like crazy to run their preferred agendas.

As far as I can tell, it seems inner city and academia was Yes, and pretty much everywhere else in the country was No.

A couple of odd standouts;

- The NT which holds the highest percentage of indigenous population strongly voted No.

- Inner City Melb which apparently has one of the countries lowest Indigenous populations, voted strongly Yes.

Overall, it seems to indicate just how wrong the referendum was, a niche question that was seen by the vast majority as waste of time and money.

Not sure it's the 'vast majority'.  If 10% of the swinging voters would have seen a different outcome.  The 'If you don't know, vote no' catch-cry was well and truly on display where I voted, and I would suggest that many of the people walking in to vote had only that message ringing in their ears, because many people (I use my 4 adult children as exhibits) couldn't be bothered finding out what this referendum was about.   Perhaps that explains why the inner-city academics voted yes, while the outer-suburbanites voted no?

Interesting to read the take on the outcome in the international media.  Pretty much universally suggested that the campaign was hijacked for political purposes and the electorate was by and large conned with a barrage of half-truths and fabrications.  Of course, Albanese should have been smarter and read the mood of the room, because referenda never pass unless they have bi-partisan support.

Funny now to hear all the local politicians saying we must now 'work together to get real improvements for Indigenous peoples', or words to that effect (we've done well on that one for the past 122 years, haven't we...?)  Why do I find it hard to believe that will be the case when it comes to voting on legislation....?