Sad: Racist, misinformed Australians vote down 'Indigenous Voices' referendum

Australians have let down liberals once again, this time by voting down an amendment that would create an advisory board for the government for Indigenous citizens.

.@SkyNewsAust has called it. Australia has voted “NO” to racial division & racial privilege.
Massive result against the odds. Yes camp had the corporates, sporting bodies, academia, celebs & bulk of media. But Australia said NO.
— Rita Panahi (@RitaPanahi) October 14, 2023

Did they have one of those celebrity singalong TikTok videos? The vote was 60-40 against the "Voices" referendum nationwide. According to the BBC:

Supporters said that entrenching the Indigenous peoples into the constitution would unite Australia and usher in a new era.
No leaders said that the idea was divisive, would create special "classes" of citizens where some were more equal than others, and the new advisory body would slow government decision-making.
They were criticised over their appeal to undecided voters with a "Don't know? Vote no" message, and accused of running a campaign based on misinformation about the effects of the plan.

What? Conservatives running a campaign of misinformation? That's a new accusation. The Guardian's Lorena Allam hits all the buzzwords in her opinion piece lamenting the loss:

When bipartisanship, which had long been a feature of the push for Indigenous constitutional recognition, died in November last year even before the question was settled, the debate went downhill fast. It was neither respectful nor informed. It was vitriolic, mean-spirited, full of misinformation, driven by racism, petty grievances and conspiracy theories based on fear and ignorance. The referendum became by proxy a vote on Indigenous peoples’ right to exist in our own land – and our fellow Australians voted to reject us. Imagine – just try – how that feels today.

Sad: Racist, misinformed Australians vote down 'Indigenous Voices' referendum

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