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Good morning!
We now know that on October 14, Australia will vote on whether to alter the Constitution to include an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
What does that mean? We explain in today’s 2-minute section.
In the meantime, we want to know what you’re thinking. How do you intend to vote? You call tell us via our 2-minute survey.
I've got 10 seconds
The quote
“I am on leave. Everyone is entitled to leave. I ask that the media respects my privacy.” – Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk via a statement. It comes after News Corp journalists took pictures of her holidaying in Europe.
The stat
1 in 5
The number of general surgeons in Australia who are women, according to new research from Monash University.
Today in history
1997: Princess Diana died in a car crash in a Paris tunnel, aged 36. Diana’s car was being chased by paparazzi in the moments leading up to the crash. Diana, her partner Dodi al-Fayed, and their driver, Henri Paul, did not survive.
I've got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
Minimum employment standards could be introduced for delivery and rideshare drivers under a Federal Government proposal that will be announced later today. The proposal details payment terms and insurance agreements aimed at better protecting workers in the gig economy.
New Zealand is one step closer to lowering the voting age to 16 for local council elections, after draft laws were introduced to Parliament. They’ll now be considered by a committee, but the change won’t be legislated until after the upcoming October election. The legislation comes after the country’s Supreme Court found that the current voting age of 18 was inconsistent with the human rights of children.
I've got 1 minute
Inflation has slowed for the third month in a row to 4.9% for July, according to new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
This means prices were 4.9% higher in July than the year prior. This is down from 5.4% in June.
It is the lowest inflation rate since February 2022.
Quick refresher:
The inflation rate indicates how much prices have increased over the past 12 months. Like many countries, Australia has been battling high inflation in the past year.
A lower inflation rate doesn’t mean prices are falling – it just means they aren’t increasing as much as they previously were.
The numbers:
Housing was a big contributor to the inflation rate still remaining high, with rent prices increasing to 7.6% in July, up from 7.3% in June.
The main contributors to the rate slowing down were fruit and vegetables (which have seen a -5.4% decrease in prices since last year) and fuel (which saw a -7.6% fall).
We want to meet you!
Hello!
TDA co-founders Zara and Sam here.
If you’re in Sydney on 7 September, we would love to meet you. We’re putting on a free event at UNSW, where we’ll be talking all about our new book and how we built TDA (it’s older than you think!)
You can register for the free event here.
We’ll bring snacks and some half-decent jokes.
I've got 2 minutes
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced the referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament will take place on October 14.
What is the Voice to Parliament?
An Indigenous Voice to Parliament would be an official representative body that gives First Nations people a say in laws and policies that affect them.
The Government wants to include this Voice in Australia’s Constitution, which does not currently recognise First Nations people.
To change the Constitution, a referendum is required.
What is a referendum?
A referendum is a public vote to change the Australian Constitution. It is compulsory for all Australian citizens aged 18 and over to vote.
For a referendum to succeed, the majority of voters across Australia, as well as the majority of voters in a majority of states, must approve it.
The last referendum was in 1999 to replace the monarch with an Australian Head of State. It did not succeed.
What will we be asked?
Australians will be asked a 'yes' or 'no' question. It will be:
"A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this proposed alteration?"
Where did the request come from?
The request for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament comes from the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
The Uluru Statement from the Heart was delivered and endorsed by 250 First Nations leaders in May 2017. It outlined the path forward for recognising First Nations people in the nation’s Constitution. It had three requests for reform.
The first request was to implement a Voice to Parliament in Australia's Constitution.
It then asked to establish a Makarrata Commission, which would involve a treaty and truth-telling process.
These requests were designed to be implemented in order, which is why the Government is trying to implement a Voice to Parliament first.
Political positions:
The Labor Party (who are in Government) is in favour of the Voice, with Albanese saying it should be "an inspiring and unifying Australian moment".
The Greens are also in favour of the Voice, saying it's an "important opportunity for the country to show its support for progress for First Nations people".
The Liberal Party opposes the Voice because they don't believe it will "resolve the issues on the ground in Indigenous communities".
The National Party also opposes it because they "don’t believe that this will genuinely close the gap" between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
How are you voting?
Let us know via our 2-minute poll!
Give me some good news
A world-first, faster cancer treatment will be rolled out for more than 3,500 patients in England.
Administered as an injection, the immunotherapy treatment is expected to provide faster care for patients. and ease demand on the health care system.
A message from our sponsor
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A TDA tidbit
Burger King is facing a lawsuit over the size of its Whopper burgers.
Consumers have brought a case against the fast-food chain, claiming the actual burger they received didn’t match what it looked like in advertising or on the menu.
According to Reuters, U.S. Judge has rejected Burger King’s attempt to get the lawsuit thrown out, saying the company "must defend against a claim that its depiction of Whoppers on in-store menu boards mislead reasonable customers, amounting to a breach of contract”.
I guess you could say the whopper is just not whopping enough.
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The Daily Aus acknowledges the Gadigal peoples of the Eora Nation who are the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work. We acknowledge and pay respect to the past, present and future Traditional Custodians and Elders of this nation and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.