Asia | No special measures

Has Australasia lurched right on race?

Indigenous relations have taken a beating in votes in both Australia and New Zealand

A defaced 'Vote Yes' sign is seen in Bassendean during The Voice referendum in Perth, Australia.
Voice of the peopleImage: Reuters
|SYDNEY

Indigenous people in Australasia have had a tough month. In a referendum on October 14th Australian voters rejected their Labor government’s proposal to establish an indigenous advisory body, or “Voice to Parliament”. On the same day New Zealanders elected the most conservative governing coalition since the adoption of proportional representation in 1993. The new prime minister, Chris Luxon, pledges to scrap policies designed to boost Maori influence in politics. Have the two countries moved right on race?

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This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “No special measures”

From the October 21st 2023 edition

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