On a drizzly morning in March, thousands lined the streets of Adelaide to witness SA legislate a state-based First Nations Voice to Parliament. Seven months later, the outcome at a national level could scarcely have been more different.
"We'll show people," SA's Aboriginal Affairs Minister, Kyam Maher, said from the steps of Parliament House.With hindsight, the weather that historic morning was an ominous sign for Voice supporters.
Seven months after declaring it would "dispel fears" and "give people comfort", the advisory body is yet to be elected, meet or counsel the government.In June, Mr Maher announced he would delay the first elections until March next year, to avoid confusion with the referendum and toAustralia has voted no in the referendum, but the vote hasn't been uniform across states and cities. A small number of electorates, mainly in inner cities, are projected to have voted yes.
"As that rolls out, what I hope is that South Australians can take comfort in the fact that we have a non-binding advisory body to the South Australian state parliament where Aboriginal people will be able to inform the parliament on matters that affect their lives in a way that is non-binding."But with the majority of South Australians rejecting calls for a national body, Mr Malinauskas and his government will inevitably face questions about the implications for the local Voice.
That was a particularly pertinent point in SA, where average earnings are well below the national average.Prominent Yes campaigners including Noel Pearson, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney often brought up SA's history when arguing their case for a federal Voice to Parliament.
But in recent decades, the state has trailed behind other jurisdictions on issues such as decriminalising abortion and sex work and legislating voluntary assisted dying.
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