The Indigenous senator says she is considering writing “treaty” on her ballot paper rather than voting in the Voice referendum.
Pressed on whether progressive voters might interpret her criticisms of the Voice as a defacto No, Thorpe said they would need to make their own decisions, adding: “I’m not part of the No camp. I’ve never been part of the No camp, and I don’t intend to be part of a No camp.”“I’m thinking maybe I’ll just write ‘treaty’ on my ballot paper so I don’t get a fine,” she said.
The Constitution Alteration bill, which in effect authorises the referendum, is expected to pass the lower house next week before being debated in the Senate in mid-June. Thorpe will move an amendment to enshrine First Nations sovereignty in the Constitution alongside the Voice. Thorpe said unless the amendment was supported, she would abstain from voting on the bill. The Albanese government has already made clear it will not amend the bill.
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