Australian voters' divisions, indifference doom Indigenous referendum

A ‘No’ sign sits in front of the Tent Embassy near the Old Australian Parliament House as voters arrive during The Voice referendum, in Canberra, Australia, October 14, 2023. REUTERS/Tracey Nearmy

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Upbeat polls and big-name endorsements greeted Australia's referendum campaign for Indigenous reconciliation when it kicked off in earnest just seven months ago, raising hopes for a historic change to the constitution.

But by the time votes were counted this weekend in the country's first referendum in nearly 25 years, the proposal for a permanent but non-voting "Indigenous Voice" in parliament had been dragged to a resounding defeat, dead by a thousand political cuts.