Australia will vote against proposals to enshrine an indigenous advocacy committee in its constitution in a historic referendum, local media are projecting

The Indigenous Voice, as it was called, would have been an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander group to advise the government on issues affecting their community.

Opinion polls in recent months had indicated an overwhelming number of Australians opposed the proposal, despite early support.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hit back at critics who argued the plans had already caused division in the country.

“The No campaign has spoken about division while stoking it,” he said, adding the real division is in the difference in living standards between indigenous people and the wider community.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton dismissed the “Voice” as “another layer of democracy”, which would not provide practical outcomes.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Australians divided over ‘voice’ to parliament for Indigenous people

Man found on top of handmade boat in Pacific Ocean before being rescued by cruise ship

Man accused of being Australia’s most prolific paedophile named as former childcare worker

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

Related posts:

Three of Guatemala’s most active volcanoes are erupting at the same time – there’s nowhere to hide At least 20 people killed and hundreds injured after earthquake in Pakistan Record £19.8m Hong Kong smuggling bust includes shark fins and endangered plants Festival vibes as protests cripple Canada’s capital – but this is no party for defiant demonstrators South Korea records highest ever daily COVID deaths and more than 600,000 cases in 24 hours Two dead and 14 wounded in shooting at Oslo nightclub Gay men advised to limit number of partners to slow monkeypox spread Belgium ‘terror attack’ suspect killed officer just hours after making ‘unhinged remarks’ at police station UN peacekeeper dies after convoy attacked in Lebanon Putin’s ‘child snatcher’ and other fugitives wanted by International Criminal Court Putin: What we know about the motivations of the Russian dictator ‘Behaviour below humanity’: Friend of dying K2 porter criticises record-breaking mountaineers