Nakata, Sana, and Bray, Daniel The Voice would have renewed Australian democracy. Its failure leaves us all worse off. The Conversation, 3 February 2026.

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Abstract

There’s long been a fundamental issue underpinning Australia’s approach to Indigenous affairs. The state makes laws specifically about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples without any protected mechanism giving them a say in the process.

The proposed Voice to Parliament sought to remedy this democratic deficit. Had the referendum succeeded, it would have established a formal representative connection between Indigenous peoples and the Commonwealth parliament.

The Voice proposal was a reform to democratic representation. Its failure was a missed opportunity to renew Australian democracy.

But it was also an explicit choice: to sustain the political subjugation of Indigenous people by denying them representative channels for making their voices heard on matters that affect them.

This enduring structural limitation leaves the parliament without any representative mechanism to consult with, or be accountable to, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Item ID:	90485
Item Type:	Article (Commentary)
ISSN:	2201-5639
Copyright Information:	We believe in the free flow of information and so publish under a Creative Commons — Attribution/No derivatives licence.
Date Deposited:	10 Feb 2026 02:00
FoR Codes:	45 INDIGENOUS STUDIES > 4505 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, society and community > 450521 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander politics @ 0% 45 INDIGENOUS STUDIES > 4505 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, society and community > 450520 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander political participation and representation @ 100%
SEO Codes:	21 INDIGENOUS > 2199 Other Indigenous > 219999 Other Indigenous not elsewhere classified @ 50% 23 LAW, POLITICS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES > 2302 Government and politics > 230203 Political systems @ 50%
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