On Saturday,the elephant stomped on the mouse. The only merciful part was the speed of the result. TheHerald and The Age called the referendum for the No vote at 7.29pm. Vote counting had not even started in Queensland or Western Australia yet. In the end,not a single state voted Yes.
The No vote swiftly obliterated the hopes of the people whose lives are not just determined by their historical suffering,but also trapped by its contemporary version.
Through painstaking effort over years,First Nations people came up with a self-determined solution for reconciliation,something they believed would mend the extreme disadvantage under which they live. They called it the Voice.
The mouse knew it couldn’t scare the elephant if it wanted success. The Voice lobby moved slowly. Cautiously. They sought bipartisan support. For many years,they had it.
During the campaign to have the Voice enshrined in the constitution,Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had pitched for soaring optimism and faith in his fellow Australians.
He held weakly onto that faith as he addressed the nation at 9pm on Saturday.
He appeared shattered,and deeply moved,as he said that the referendum defeat would not be “the end of the road”.
Read Jacqueline’s full analysis