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The latest Guardian Essential poll shows the yes vote rose two points to 43% over the past fortnight, while the no vote slipped two points to 49%. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday that people tended to support the referendum once they understood the details of the proposal. Unlike New Zealand or Canada, Australia has no treaty with its Indigenous people, who make up about 3.2% of its population of 26 million. Indigenous groups were marginalized by British colonial rulers and are not mentioned in Australia's 122-year-old constitution. The referendum debate has divided opinion, with supporters arguing the Voice will bring progress for the Aboriginal community, while opponents say it would be divisive.

Persons: Rita Wright, Loren Elliott, Anthony Albanese, Albanese, They're, Lewis Jackson, Tom Hogue Organizations: Australian, REUTERS, Rights, Guardian, Triple M Hobart, Nations, New, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, Canada

☆ Australia Voice referendum: Cherbourg, a community built on racial segregation, looks to the future
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

“We’ve got around 260 people waiting on our waiting list,” said Cherbourg Council CEO Chatur Zala. “My community is very, very confused,” said Mayor Elvie Sandow, from her air-conditioned office in the center of Cherbourg. Hilary Whiteman/CNNZala said Cherbourg Council has made gains in recent years, since Mayor Elvie was elected in 2020. “The highest employment rate of any Indigenous community,” he boasted. At the end of the day, I am the voice of Cherbourg because I’m the elected mayor for this community.”I am the voice of Cherbourg because I’m the elected mayor for this community.

Persons: Australia CNN —, “ We’ve, ”, Chatur Zala, –, Elvie Sandow, “ They’re, they’ll, “, “ They’ll, Hilary Whiteman, Erin Johnston, ” Johnston, Michael Blair, Andy Roache, Anthony Albanese, Cherbourg Aunty Ruth Hegarty, Aunty Ruth, Betty McKenzie, You’re, ” Aunty Ruth, Ruth, we’re, Aunty Ruth Hegarty, Moira Bligh, Nyunggai Warren Mundine, Blair Gilchrist, that’s, aren’t, it’s, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Richard Milnes, ” Price, “ It’s, Warren, It’s, Jacinta Nampijinpa, CNN Zala, Mayor Elvie, Zala, They’ve, Elvie, “ I’m, I’m, Elvie Sandow Zala, “ That’s, he’ll Organizations: Australia CNN, Torres Strait Islanders, ” Cherbourg, CNN, Australian Electoral Commission, AEC, Indigenous, Nations, Queensland Museum, Opium, Advance, Labor, Conservative Political, Conference, Tourists, Shed, Mayor, Digital Service Center Locations: Cherbourg, Australia, Queensland, Brisbane, Mitchell, Northern, ”, Trust, Canberra, Gujarat, India

☆ 'A deaf whale is a dead whale': Activists fight huge Australian fossil fuel project
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Angus Watson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

According to the Australian Marine Conservation Society, the noise can reach 250 decibels, around a million times “more intense” than the loudest whale sounds. “So, a deaf whale is a dead whale.”Environmental campaigners say Australia should be making greater efforts to reduce its emissions, not build new fossil fuel projects. Campaigners say the projected emissions made a mockery of Australia’s stated commitment to reducing its reliance on fossil fuels. “Scarborough is a part of the Burrup Hub, and that is Australia’s largest fossil fuel project. If it goes ahead we’re looking at emissions equivalent to 12 years of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions,” said Greenpeace’s Richard George.

Persons: Woodside’s, “, Raelene Cooper, Cooper, ”, Richard George, Alex Westover, Scott Morrison, Anthony Albanese’s, it’s, Woodside, ” Woodside, Wendy Mitchell, ” Cooper, “ Woodside, Australia’s, Greenpeace’s Richard George Organizations: Sydney CNN —, Woodside Energy, Federal, Australian Marine Conservation Society, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, Energy, CNN, Greenpeace, Whales, ” Locations: Australia, Woodside, “ Scarborough, ”, Scarborough, Western Australia, Asia

☆ Record numbers of Australians enrol for referendum on Indigenous recognition
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The proposal has been struggling to get majority support with recent opinion polls showing voters are will reject it. A record 97.7% of eligible Australians have enrolled to vote in the referendum, the Australian Election Commission (AEC) said in a statement late on Thursday. More than 8.4 million people, 47% of the roll, were not enrolled when the last referendum was held in 1999, the commission added. Indigenous Australians, who account for 3.8% of the population, face disadvantages including discrimination, poor health and education outcomes and high incarceration rates. Some Indigenous Australians want stronger action, including a treaty with the government.

Persons: Rita Wright, Loren Elliott, Tom Rogers, Anthony Albanese's, Albanese, we’ll, Praveen Menon, Lincoln Organizations: Australian, REUTERS, Rights, Torres Strait, Commission, Nations, Anthony Albanese's Labor, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia

☆ Former Pacific leaders hope Australians 'find conscience' to pass First Nations referendum
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Passing the referendum should be a "first step" towards a treaty with First Nations people, they added. It has also pointed to historical trade by the country's First Nations people with Pacific Islands as a basis for strong modern ties, amid competition for influence with China. He added that whatever the outcome, his work would continue to highlight that Australia's First Nations people had been linked by trade to the Pacific Islands for centuries. Indigenous Australians, who account for 3.8% of the population, face disadvantages including discrimination, poor health and education outcomes and high incarceration rates. Some Indigenous Australians want stronger action, including a treaty with the government.

Persons: Rita Wright, Loren Elliott, Anote Tong, Tommy Remengesau, Hilda Cathy Heine, Anthony Albanese's, Justin Mohamed, Julie Bishop, Kirsty Needham, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Australian, REUTERS, Rights, Former Pacific Islands, First Nations, Kiribati, Marshall, Pacific Elders Voice, Reuters, Aboriginal, Torres Strait, Nations, Vanuatu, VBTC, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Palau, Pacific, China, Islands

☆ Former Pacific Leaders Hope Australians 'Find Conscience' to Pass First Nations Referendum
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Persons: Kirsty Needham SYDNEY, Anote Tong, Tommy Remengesau, Hilda Cathy Heine, Anthony Albanese's, Justin Mohamed, Julie Bishop, Kirsty Needham, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Former Pacific Islands, First Nations, Kiribati, Marshall, Pacific Elders Voice, Reuters, Aboriginal, Torres Strait, Nations, Vanuatu, VBTC Locations: Palau, Australia, Pacific, China, Islands

☆ Australian Indigenous Voice: Three generations of First Nations men share their views on Australia's referendum
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Now 94, Anderson says a Yes vote isn’t just important for him but the country. “By talking and walking together as a nation and as a society, we will share a common destiny,” he said. Wharton said he wants “liberation, freedom and restitution” delivered through negotiation by the hundreds of Aboriginal nations with people occupying their land. Nick Harvey-Doyle is studying in New York and is calling for a Yes vote. Sykes, who died in 2010, was the first Black Australian to study at Harvard, and fought for a Yes vote in the 1967 Referendum.

Persons: Uncle Bob Anderson, Elder, ”, Anderson, Hilary Whiteman, Wayne Wharton, “, Wharton, “ I’ve, ” Wharton, Nick Harvey, Doyle, Elder Anderson, that’s, Doyle Harvey, Roberta Sykes, Sykes, Harvey, don’t, aren’t, Jonathan PIlkington, they’ll, what’s, he’s Organizations: Australia CNN —, First Nations, Nations, CNN, Aboriginal, Brooklyn, New York, New York University, Australian, Harvard, Australian Voice, Australian Electoral Commission, Torres Strait Locations: Brisbane, Australia, New York, New South Wales

☆ Thousands in Australia rally for struggling Indigenous referendum
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A depiction of the Australian Aboriginal Flag is seen on a window sill at the home of indigenous Muruwari elder Rita Wright, a member of the "Stolen Generations", in Sydney, Australia, January 19, 2021. REUTERS/Loren Elliott Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Thousands rallied in Australia on Sunday to support recognising the country's Indigenous people in the constitution, a proposal that is struggling ahead of a referendum next month. Indigenous Australians, who account for 3.8% of the population, face disadvantages including discrimination, poor health and education outcomes and high incarceration rates. To change the constitution, the referendum, backed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's Labor government, would require a national majority in favour and majorities in at least four of Australia's six states. Most Indigenous people favour the referendum, but some, like prominent No campaigner Warren Mundine, say it is a distraction from achieving practical and positive outcomes and would not fully resolve the issues affecting them.

Persons: Rita Wright, Loren Elliott, Anthony Albanese's, Warren Mundine, we've, Mundine, Sam McKeith, William Mallard Organizations: Australian, REUTERS, Rights, Aboriginal, Torres Strait, Australian Broadcasting Corp, Anthony Albanese's Labor, ABC, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Brisbane, Sydney , Melbourne, Perth, Hobart, Canberra, Darwin, Newcastle

☆ Thousands in Australia Rally for Struggling Indigenous Referendum
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Thousands rallied in Australia on Sunday to support recognising the country's Indigenous people in the constitution, a proposal that is struggling ahead of a referendum next month. Indigenous Australians, who account for 3.8% of the population, face disadvantages including discrimination, poor health and education outcomes and high incarceration rates. To change the constitution, the referendum, backed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's Labor government, would require a national majority in favour and majorities in at least four of Australia's six states. Most Indigenous people favour the referendum, but some, like prominent No campaigner Warren Mundine, say it is a distraction from achieving practical and positive outcomes and would not fully resolve the issues affecting them. "If we can do just three things - accountability, jobs and education - then we'll resolve most of the problems we've got," Mundine told ABC.

Persons: Anthony Albanese's, Warren Mundine, we've, Mundine, Sam McKeith, William Mallard Organizations: SYDNEY, Aboriginal, Torres Strait, Australian Broadcasting Corp, Anthony Albanese's Labor, ABC Locations: Australia, Brisbane, Sydney , Melbourne, Perth, Hobart, Canberra, Darwin, Newcastle, Sydney

☆ Australia's Indigenous Voice referendum faces misinformation linked to COVID influencers
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Byron Kaye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

Dozens of campaigners who built substantial audiences during the COVID era by opposing Australia's pandemic response have turned their focus to undermining the Oct. 14 referendum, analysis of social media posts by independent fact-checkers shows. The direct link between COVID agitators and misinformation about the Voice has not been previously reported in detail. Polls show support for the Voice has slumped from about two-thirds in April to less than 40% this month. Not one X post containing electoral misinformation was marked or taken down in the monitoring period, before or after being reported, Reset.Tech said. "Many of the accounts pushing electoral misinformation narratives turned to a style of anti-lockdown politics during the pandemic," said Reset.Tech Australia executive director Alice Dawkins.

Persons: William Bay, Hitler, Bay, Reset.Tech, Elon Musk, Alice Dawkins, Ella Woods, Joyce, Evan Ekin, Smyth, Donald Trump, Luke Howarth, Covid, David Heilpern, Graham Hood, Pauline Hanson, Tristan Van Rye, Hood, Hanson, Van Rye, Ed Coper, Rosita Diaz, Diaz, BILL Australia's, Michelle Rowland, we're, Elise Thomas, Byron Kaye, Praveen Menon, Daniel Flynn, David Crawshaw Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Facebook, COVID, Meta, Reset.Tech, U.S, Southern Cross University, Qantas, Aboriginal, Labor, Communications, Advance Australia, Institute for Strategic, Thomson Locations: Brisbane, Australia, BRISBANE, Brisbane's, Reset.Tech Australia, Northern Territory, Canada, U.S, New Zealand, Melbourne

[1/5] Children study the Dharug language at Lethbridge Park Public School in Sydney, Australia May 8, 2023. "Opening our own schools, that's sovereignty in action," said Webb, one of those seeking to revive the Indigenous language spoken in Coffs Harbour, a coastal town about 500 km (310 miles) north of Sydney. Authorities often relocated Indigenous people from their traditional lands, known as Country, and forcibly separated Indigenous children from their families, resulting in a "stolen generation" because of policies that ran from the mid-19th century to the 1970s. As late as the 1980s, authorities punished Indigenous people for speaking their languages. At the time of European colonisation, more than 250 Indigenous languages, including 800 dialects, were believed to have been spoken continent-wide, the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) says.

Persons: Alasdair Pal, Clark Webb, Webb, Jayalaani, Ray Ingrey, Captain James Cook, you've, you'll, Ingrey, Jasmine Seymour, Maria Lock, Seymour, James Redmayne, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Lethbridge Park Public School, REUTERS, Freedom, Torres, Authorities, Australian Institute of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Gujaga Foundation, Lethbridge Park Public, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, COFFS HARBOUR, Australian, Coffs Harbour, Australia’s, New South Wales, Torres Strait, Great Britain, Dharawal, British, Lethbridge, Sydney's

[1/5]A Yes23 volunteer holds pamphlets while speaking with commuters about the upcoming Voice to Parliament referendum, in Melbourne, Australia August 30, 2023. Some senior Liberal party leaders, however, have broken ranks and supported the Voice referendum. "The Voice delivers recognition and respect to Indigenous Australians in the manner they have sought," Turnbull said in an opinion piece in The Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday. In the most recent referendum in 1999, Australians voted against changing the constitution to establish Australia as a republic. "I’m just trying to vote yes for the recognition of the real owners of Australia," Sydney resident Oscar Rodas, who was at one of the campaigns, told Reuters.

Persons: Albanese, SYDNEY, Anthony Albanese, Pat Anderson, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, James Ross, Malcolm Turnbull, Turnbull, I’m, Oscar Rodas, Cordelia Hsu, Stephen Coates Organizations: Wednesday, Aboriginal, Torres Strait, First Nations Peoples, Liberal, REUTERS Acquire, Liberal Party, Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Torres Strait, Adelaide, Torres, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Melbourne, Lincoln

☆ Voice referendum: Australia sets date for historic referendum on its First Nations people
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —Australia has set the date for its first referendum in 24 years as polls suggest the government is on course for failure unless it can reverse declining support. As soon as the date was announced, the no campaign sent a text message calling for tax deductible donations that read: “It’s on! Votes in the territories – the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory will only be included in the national total. The Voice, if approved, would enshrine a body in the constitution made up of Indigenous people to advise the government on laws that relate to them. Tamati Smith/Getty ImagesNo vote strengthening in the pollsBut recent polling suggests if a vote was cast now, it would likely fail.

Persons: ”, Anthony Albanese, –, Richard Wainwright, Peter Dutton, they’d, ” Dutton, “, Anna Clark, Clark, ” Cedric Marika, Tamati Smith, Oscar, ” Oscar, she’s, Albanese, “ Don’t, don’t Organizations: Australia CNN —, Peoples of Australia, Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Australian, Territory, Nations, WA Liberals, Reuters, Labor, Liberal Party, National Party, Australian Electoral Commission, Liberal, AEC, Sky News, Australian Centre for Public, University of Technology, Garma, Torres, Torres Strait Islander Social, Australian Human Rights, ”, Torres Strait Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Australia CNN — Australia, Nations, Northern Territory, Perth, University of Technology Sydney, East Arnhem, Torres Strait

☆ Australia debates Indigenous referendum as pamphlets launched
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, July 18 (Reuters) - Parties on both sides of a debate on whether to constitutionally recognise Australia's Indigenous people released their official pamphlets on Tuesday, which will start being delivered to letterboxes across the country. Pamphlets from those supporting the constitutional change, known as the 'Yes' camp, and those against it, called the 'No' camp, was published on the election commission website on Tuesday. Supporters argued voting yes in the referendum would "unite the nation" as it recognises a 65,000 year-old Indigenous culture and would bring practical progress for Indigenous health, education, employment and housing. While a majority of Indigenous Australians still back the change, recent polls have shown that support has been wavering at a national level. In the past there have been 44 proposals for constitutional change in 19 referendums, and only eight of these have passed.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Praveen Menon, Lincoln Organizations: SYDNEY, Aboriginal, First Nations, Thomson Locations: Torres, Australia's, Australia

☆ Thousands rally across Australia in support of Indigenous reform
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, July 2 (Reuters) - Thousands rallied in Australia on Sunday to back a campaign to recognise the country's Indigenous people in the constitution ahead of a referendum later this year, after a recent dip in support for the change. Another attendee, Isabelle Smith, said in her opinion the referendum was the most important issue in Australia. "It’ll bring Australians together and I think voting 'Yes' is the most important thing that people can do," she said. Opponents, including some Indigenous people, have said the proposal lacks detail and will divide Australians. Indigenous Australians, who account for 3.8% of the population, face disadvantages including discrimination, poor health and education outcomes and high incarceration rates.

Persons: Anthony Albanese's, Jason Howard, Isabelle Smith, It’ll, Yes23, Rachel Perkins, Sam McKeith, James Redmayne, Jill Gralow, Simon Cameron, Moore, William Mallard Organizations: SYDNEY, Voice, Aboriginal, Torres Strait, Labor, Liberal, Australian, of Social, Sydney, Indigenous, ABC, Thomson Locations: Australia, Sydney

"I think most of the world is watching," Megan Davis, constitutional lawyer and Aboriginal woman who is leading the campaign for the change, told Reuters in an interview. A successful referendum will set a precedent that will be "really useful for other indigenous populations around the world in relation to recognition," Davis said. While a majority of Indigenous Australians back the change, support has been wavering at a national level, according to recent opinion polls. In the past there have been 44 proposals for constitutional change in 19 referendums, and only eight of these have passed. Pat Anderson, another Indigenous woman and campaign leader said this was the best political space Aboriginal Australians have been in since their struggle started over 200 years ago.

Persons: Megan Davis, Davis, Pat Anderson, Anderson, Stephen Coates Organizations: SYDNEY, Reuters, First Nations, Nations, UN, United, Indigenous Peoples, Australia's, Thomson Locations: Australia, Torres, Scandinavia, British, Australia's, Canada, New Zealand, United States

The referendum, which comes amid a wider reckoning over race relations, proposes to change the constitution and establish an advisory body called the Indigenous Voice to Parliament to give Indigenous Australians a direct say in policies that affect them. Five of those polled were funding or planned to fund the "Yes" campaign, while none endorsed nor were contributing to "No". Commonwealth Bank told Reuters it plans to fund the "Yes" campaign and had hosted two panel discussions with Indigenous speakers. Rio Tinto, which faced criticism in 2020 for destroying Indigenous rock shelters, said the Voice would bring an "additional lens" to government decision-making. Aurora Milroy, a lecturer in Indigenous affairs at the University of Western Australia, said supporting the Voice was easy publicity for companies.

Persons: Rita Wright, Loren Elliott, Anthony Albanese, Intifar Chowdhury, Albanese, Meg O'Neill, Ross Piper, Baker McKenzie, Thomas Mayo, Kate Gillingham, Peter Dutton, Coles, Rio Tinto, Fortescue, Aurora Milroy, Byron Kaye, Praveen Menon, Melanie Burton, David Crawshaw, Devayani, Anant Chandak, Veronica Khongwir, Sujith Pai Organizations: Australian, REUTERS, Australia's, BHP, Rio Tinto, Woodside Energy, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Labor, Voice, National, Nine Entertainment, Reuters, Commonwealth Bank, Ethical Investment, Qantas, Australian Financial, Liberal, Fair Australia, Miners, Fortescue Metals, University of Western, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Rio, Western Australia, Woodside, Queensland, University of Western Australia, Melbourne

☆ Fewer than half of Australians back Indigenous panel, poll shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, June 13 (Reuters) - Fewer than half of Australians back the inclusion of an Indigenous advisory panel in the constitution, in a plan set to face a referendum this year, a newspaper poll showed on Tuesday, down from 53% in May. Published by the Sydney Morning Herald, the poll showed that 49% of respondents supported the change, down from 53% in May, while 51% said they were opposed to it. Indigenous Australians, who form 3.2% of a population of 26 million, fare poorly on yardsticks such as health, education and imprisonment rates. A newspoll survey published last week also found that fewer than half of all Australians supported the referendum. But another poll published on Tuesday showed support holding steady for the Indigenous "Voice to Parliament", as the panel is called.

Persons: Dean Parkin, Anthony Albanese, Praveen Menon, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: SYDNEY, Aboriginal, Sydney Morning Herald, Sky News, Guardian, Thomson Locations: Torres, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia

☆ Australia's Indigenous recognition bill passes first hurdle
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, May 31 (Reuters) - Legislation to hold a referendum to recognise Australia's Indigenous people in the constitution cleared its first parliamentary hurdle on Wednesday as it was passed in the House of Representatives. Aboriginal people, making up about 3.2% of Australia's near 26 million population, track below national averages on most socio-economic measures and are not mentioned in the 122-year-old constitution. "We're one step closer to holding a referendum on constitutional recognition through the Voice in 2023," Linda Burney, the Minister for Indigenous Australians said in a tweet after the outcome of the vote was announced. The bill will still need to go through the senate next month, after which the government will set a date for the polls. A successful referendum would finally give constitutional recognition to Australia's Indigenous people, who are one of the most incarcerated people in the world.

Persons: Linda Burney, Praveen Menon, Christopher Cushing Organizations: SYDNEY, Representatives, National Party, Liberal, Indigenous, Thomson Locations: Torres, Australia's

Companies National Indigenous Australians Agency FollowSYDNEY, May 11 (Reuters) - Two key Australian Indigenous leaders opposed to a proposal to constitutionally recognise the country's Aboriginal and Torres Island people joined forces on Thursday in an effort to strengthen their campaign ahead of a referendum later this year. A YouGov poll out last month showed 83% of Indigenous Australians support the referendum, while a wider poll by the Guardian said 60% of Australians will vote for it. Any constitutional alterations in Australia require a national referendum. To succeed, a referendum requires a national majority of votes as well as a majority of votes in at least four of the six states. The conservative Liberal-National opposition coalition will oppose the national vote.

☆ Indigenous Australians file human rights complaint with pension funds over Santos gas projects
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, April 26 (Reuters) - A group of Indigenous Australians on Wednesday filed a human rights complaint against 20 large Australian pension funds for investing in Santos Ltd's (STO.AX) two gas projects, putting pressure on the funds over their fossil fuel investment plans. Three traditional landowners, in the complaint filed directly with the superannuation funds, alleged the funds had an "obligation to prevent adverse human rights impacts of companies in which they are invested". Commonwealth Super Corp, AustralianSuper, Australian Retirement Trust, Aware Super and AMP - the five largest pension funds - did not immediately respond to requests seeking comment. An appeal by Santos to resume drilling on its A$3.6 billion Barossa gas project off northern Australia was rejected by the federal court in December after indigenous groups raised objections. Santos then said it would apply for fresh approvals for its biggest project in line with the court's order.

☆ Australia opposition lawmaker quits shadow cabinet over Indigenous referendum stance
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, April 11 (Reuters) - An Australian opposition lawmaker quit the shadow cabinet on Tuesday in disagreement with his Liberal party's decision to campaign against a proposal to constitutionally recognise the country's Aboriginal and Torres Island people. Explaining his decision to resign as shadow attorney general and shadow minister for Indigenous Australians, Julian Leeser said he was unable to persuade his Liberal colleagues to support the proposed constitutional changes. "I resign without rancour or bitterness and I remain a loyal Liberal," Leeser said during a media briefing, pledging his support to opposition leader Peter Dutton. Leaving the shadow cabinet will give Leeser the freedom to campaign for the recognition of Australia's Aboriginal people in the constitution and the establishment of an Indigenous advisory group, called the "Voice". Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has staked significant political capital on the referendum, welcomed Leeser's decision.

☆ 'Judas betrayal': Indigenous Australians denounce opposition for rejecting referendum
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Praveen Menon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File PhotoSYDNEY, April 6 (Reuters) - Senior Indigenous leaders on Thursday criticised Australia's main opposition party's "Judas betrayal" for declaring it would campaign against a proposal to constitutionally recognise the country's Aboriginal and Torres Island people. Noel Pearson, an Indigenous leader and a key campaigner for the community, said he had a sleepless night after hearing the decision of the Liberal Party. "I was troubled by dreams and the spectre of the Dutton Liberal party's Judas betrayal of our country,” he told ABC radio. Uluru Dialogue spokeswoman and Indigenous leader Pat Anderson said the Liberal decision was a vote for “business as usual”. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government has staked significant political capital on the referendum, but no referendum has succeeded in Australia without bipartisan support.

☆ To Prevent Huge Wildfires, Australia Leans More on Indigenous Experience
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Mike Cherney | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

As fire seasons lengthen, relentless wildfires such as this one northeast of Perth, Australia, in 2021, could become more common. SYDNEY—When Tremane Patterson sets fire to the countryside, the 34-year-old walks alongside the flames, using leaves and branches to put out embers and make sure the fire stays along his desired path. Mr. Patterson, from the Banbai nation, is one of many indigenous Australians seeking to reintroduce cultural burning, a practice that was widespread for thousands of years but was disrupted after Europeans colonized the continent.

☆ To Prevent Huge Wildfires, Australia Leans More on Indigenous Wisdom
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Mike Cherney | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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