Latest national poll shows slim majority supports Indigenous Voice to Parliament, but undecided vote rising

Giovanni Torre
Giovanni Torre Published March 7, 2023 at 12.00am (AWST)

Support for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament slipped throughout February according to a the most recent Newspoll, published by The Australian overnight.

The poll of 1,530 people nationwide saw overall support for the Voice shift from 56 per cent at the start of February to 53 per cent among people polled from March 1 to 4.

However, the number of those expressing opposition to the Voice rose by just one point in the same period, to 38 per cent.

The bigger shift came in the undecided column, rising from seven to nine per cent.

Only 24 per cent of people strongly oppose the Voice, compared to 25 per cent strongly in favour and 28 per cent partly in favour of the proposed constitutionally enshrined representative body.

The two-point increase in the "don't know" response may reflect the campaign of uncertainty run by the federal Liberal Party, which still refuses to state its official position on the Voice.

On Monday a $9.5 million civics education program was established by the federal government to provide facts on the Voice. The government says the program is not a Yes campaign, and rather will provide information about the general role of the proposed body.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has been briefed by Indigenous and other constitutional experts, and has been encouraged to read the detailed reports produced on the proposal, but continues to recite his "15 questions" about the Voice.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has suggested Mr Dutton is not demonstrating goodwill and is attempting to "muddy the waters".

The new poll saw the percentage of self-identifying Coalition voters who strongly support the Voice fall from 13 to just 10 per cent.

Young voters (18-34) are still the age group most supportive of the Voice (64 per cent), but the latest poll did find an increase in support from over-65s, from 40 to 42 per cent, and a sharp drop in opposition from older voters, from 57 to 48 per cent.

On Monday Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney urged the federal Opposition to "meet us halfway" on legislation to deliver a modernised referendum process.

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National Indigenous Times

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