Anthony Albanese speaks out about the defeat of the Voice to Parliament referendum and discloses his explanations for its failure

Anthony Albanese has addressed the nation following the resounding defeat of his proposed Voice to Parliament referendum.

The prime minister, with tears in his eyes, acknowledged that while this was not the outcome he had hoped for, he respects the overwhelming decision of the Australian people and urged yes supporters to show “grace and humility.”

“As we reflect on everything that is happening in the world today, we can all be grateful that here in Australia we make big decisions peacefully and as equals, with one voice, a value,” he said.

“I never imagined or even said it would be easy. Very few things in public life are worth it.

He accepted responsibility for the heavy defeat, but added that he believed the debate over how long the Uluru Heart Declaration actually lasted had influenced some voters.

Since 2017, the final declaration has been presented as a “generous” one-page, 439-word appeal to unite Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

But during the campaign, no advocate pointed out that this single page was informed by 26 other pages that included calls for reparations, payment of “rent,” and a review of land rights.

But such words were never included in the declaration itself.

“Debates about how long Uluru was declaring from the heart that no one is serious, in their bedroom… we have had pages and pages and weeks and weeks where these issues have been described,” he said. said Mr. Albanese.

“For a lot of people, it became a topic where they received a whole range of information.”

He then joked about questions raised earlier this year, centering on whether the Voice in Parliament would have the ability to consult the central bank on raising the cash rate.

“You know, the Reserve Bank can rest easy now that they won’t get advice on interest rates until the next meeting,” he said.

“This is one of the things that was discussed. »

Visibly moved by the outcome, Mr Albanese pledged his government would continue to fight to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians by working to “close the gap” and advance reconciliation.

“I will always be optimistic about what we can achieve together. In this spirit, just as I have repeatedly offered to cooperate with people across the political spectrum on next steps in the event of a Yes victory, I am renewing that offer of cooperation this evening.

“This moment of disagreement does not define us and will not divide us. We are neither Yes voters nor No voters. We are all Australians.