Perth Voice Interactive

THE nation was in a ‘no’ mood, but Perth was one of only two electorates in WA that voted in favour of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament at last weekend’s referendum, as of the current count. 

Results are still coming in and as we go to print Curtin is also a slim “yes”, with 50.8 per cent in favour. But that number’s been ebbing as postal votes are being counted and appears to be trending “no”. 

Prediction

Ahead of the October 14 referendum, Labor’s federal Perth MP Patrick Gorman made a firm prediction: “Perth’s a yes,” he told us amid his doorknocking campaign in support of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament. 

He was right on that front, with Perth standing at 55.9 per cent ‘yes’.

Vincent council was one of the local governments to throw its support behind the Voice to Parliament, having voted in 2020 to unanimously endorse the Uluru Statement from the Heart calling for a voice to be constitutionally enshrined.

Other supporters included Bayswater, Fremantle, East Fremantle, and Victoria Park. 

Vincent mayor Emma Cole told us this week that while she was disappointed with the overall vote, local results were encouraging: “It’s really heartening to see the support in some of our local booths in the City of Vincent, part in our local primary schools where we have really strong communities that are running reconciliation action plans and really encouraging Noongar culture and song and education in our schools.”

Current counts place the two Highgate polling places at above 67 per cent, Mount Hawthorn at 66.76 per cent, and North Perth’s two booths were around 70 per cent. 

“It was encouraging to see our community really strongly supporting reconciliation, and I know the City of Vincent will continue to work with elders and our community to ensure that we keep strongly on that path,” Ms Cole said.

by DAVID BELL