Queensland records the nation’s strongest no vote
Queensland had the strongest "no" vote of any state or territory. Feelings were mixed about the result particularly in some Indigenous communities.
Transcript
00:00 Joyous songs in the Sunday service on Palm Island, but there's an underlying sense of
00:10 hurt and pain.
00:12 People are feeling rejected.
00:18 People feel that nobody cares.
00:20 75% of residents on the island off the coast of Townsville voted yes, in stark contrast
00:26 to the resounding no on the mainland.
00:30 We have to look at where things went wrong.
00:32 How do we go forward from here?
00:35 In Yarrabaugh, one of the country's largest Indigenous communities, some residents are
00:40 in mourning.
00:41 We're not closing no gap.
00:43 We're widening it.
00:44 The town's nestled in Bob Catter's seat, one of six Queensland electorates where more
00:48 than 80% of voters were against a voice to Parliament.
00:52 I thought it would go that way.
00:54 I'm a normal person.
00:55 I need normal people like me to understand what it was all about.
00:58 Gungalu woman, Michelle Leisher, also supported the no campaign.
01:02 I do because now it makes it a better pathway for us.
01:06 Queensland's no vote was the highest in the country, while National Party leader David
01:10 Littleproud's electorate saw the strongest opposition, almost 85%.
01:17 Voters in Maranoa say they aren't against recognition.
01:21 But they were just worried what the voice would do for land rights and other things
01:28 like that.
01:29 There's always been a city-country divide amongst Queensland voters.
01:33 Just three federal seats were in favour, all in Brisbane.
01:37 Terrible, terrible result.
01:39 Incredibly sad.
01:40 Instead of moving forward, I feel it's going backwards.
01:43 Indigenous Australians have been here 65,000 years.
01:46 They deserve a say.
01:48 The Queensland government says it's committed to pursuing reconciliation and improving the
01:52 lives of First Nations people right across the state.
01:55 Earlier this year, Parliament passed historic Path to Treaty legislation.
01:59 That process will continue with bipartisan support.
02:03 There should be some truth-telling about what's happened in the past and what they're living
02:07 through now.
02:08 The hurt is huge.
02:09 And I tell you what, there's going to have to be a lot of work.
02:12 [BLANK_AUDIO]