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Saturday, May 18, 2024

Low voice support lingers in final run to polling day

Campaign efforts are intensifying in the race to referendum day but new polling is declaring the chances of success are all but over.

Two surveys show the ‘no’ campaign still ahead a week out from referendum day despite one poll indicating a slight late gain in support for the ‘yes’ vote in the past month.

Almost half of voters opposed the voice, 38 per cent are in favour and 13 per cent remain undecided, according to a Resolve poll conducted for the Sydney Morning Herald.

When allowed only a referendum-style ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer, 56 per cent of respondents opposed the change and 44 per cent were in favour – with the latter up one point since September.

Tasmania was the only state with a majority of ‘yes’ voters, the survey found.

A Newspoll indicated that the ‘no’ side was backed by 58 per cent while the support for ‘yes’ was at 34 per cent and eight per cent were unsure. 

The Newspoll of 1225 voters registered a two percentage point dip for ‘yes’ and a two-point increase for ‘no’ since the previous survey two weeks earlier.

Despite polls showing the ‘no’ campaign ahead, the prime minister said enshrining the Indigenous advisory body in the constitution would be a moment of national unity.

Anthony Albanese added that he wouldn’t pre-empt any polls ahead of Australians hitting the ballot box. 

“We have five days in which Australians can have a look at what the question is – the constitutional change is very clear,” he told Nine’s Today Show program.

“There will be a body that may give advice on matters affecting Indigenous Australians and the parliament remains supreme. 

“For the parliament and government, the decision-making process doesn’t change but you get better outcomes if it’s an informed decision.”

With just days to go until the referendum, Mr Albanese said he would participate in a nationwide blitz campaigning for the ‘yes’ vote before the October 14 referendum.

The prime minister will hit regional centres such as Broken Hill and Port Lincoln, along with stops at Uluru, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart and Sydney.

But Mr Albanses has also said the government would not pursue future attempts at establishing the voice should the referendum fail to get enough support.

Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley said the country would still have negative outcomes either way following the referendum.

“It’s a lose-lose whatever the result is on Saturday,” she told Sky News.

“It will be bad, divisive and unhappy for Australians the next day, so we do need to bring the country together.

“It is just so important that the day after we come together as a country.”

Ms Ley said she would not be happy if the ‘no’ campaign won the referendum, despite saying she would be voting ‘no’.

More than 2.2 million people have already cast their ballot while a further 1.9 million applied for a postal vote.

By Dominic Giannini and Andrew Brown in Canberra

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