Nakata, Sana, and Bray, Daniel (2026) Understanding the Voice: Representation as Structural Reform. In: Appleby, Gabrielle, and Davis, Megan, (eds.) The Failure of the Voice Referendum and the Future of Australian Democracy. Anthem Press, London, UK, pp. 245-254.

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Abstract

With the defeat of the 2023 referendum to constitutionalise a Voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to the Parliament and Executive of the Commonwealth, the political subjugation of Australia’s First Peoples was confirmed as a contemporary condition rather than a mere historical legacy. This chapter revisits this moment with a particular focus on understanding the proposed Voice as a form of political representation. By understanding the proposed structural reform in representative terms, we seek to show that the proposal was neither as radical nor as toothless as its critics argued. Rather, it represented an attempt to address a fundamental democratic deficit in the Australian context: the lack of connection between First Peoples and the Commonwealth Parliament that makes laws that affect them.

Item ID:	90486
Item Type:	Book Chapter (Research - B1)
ISBN:	9781839995521
Copyright Information:	© 2026 Gabrielle Appleby and Megan Davis editorial matter and selection; individual chapters © individual contributors.
Date Deposited:	11 Feb 2026 00:34
FoR Codes:	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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