Voice referendum result sees Linda Burney and other Labor ministers deserted by electorates
Labor’s federal ministers have been deserted by their electorates on the voice, with a slew of Sydney electorates ignoring their MPs’ pleas and turning out for No.
Labor’s leading federal ministers – including Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney – have been deserted by their electorates on the voice, with a slew of Sydney electorates ignoring their MP’s pleas and turning out to vote for No.
It comes as The Australian called that not only NSW would vote No, but also the referendum outcome would be No.
The Yes campaign, which needed a double majority including victory in four states and more than 50 per cent of the national vote, has failed.
Yes is expected to concede it has lost after more results come in from Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia where voters are expected to reject a constitutionally enshrined voice to parliament and executive government.
Yes23 had identified millions of western Sydney voters, who also heavily voted No in the 2017 same-sex marriage postal survey, as critical to claim victory in NSW.
However, those voters, represented by a raft of Labor minister, turned their noses up at the Voice, deserting Yes in favour of No.
With about 56 per cent of all votes counted, NSW was tracking to vote 57 per cent for No, 43 for yes.
It was not only a bruising night for the Yes campaign, but also for Labor’s federal ministers who spruiked it, none more so than Indigenous Australians Minister Ms Burney.
With about 70 per cent of the vote counted, the majority of voters in Ms Burney’s Sydney seat of Barton had rejected the Voice. At the time of publication, 55 per cent of Barton voters had backed No compared with 45 per cent for Yes.
It was similar across Sydney southwest and west, with Labor strongholds ignoring the party and PM’s Yes pleas and casting a vote for No in their droves.
At the time of publication, almost 66 per cent of voters in Energy Minister Chris Bowen’s seat of McMahon voted No compared with 34 per cent for yes.
In Blaxland, held by Education Minister Jason Clare, 62 per cent voted No compared with 37 per cent for Yes.
In Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke’s seat of Watson, more than 55 per cent voted No.
More than 58 per cent of voters in Chifley, held by Industry Minister Ed Husic, voted No, which was also leading 54 to 46 per cent in Greenway, held by Communications Minister Michelle Rowland.
That trend was mirrored across the state, with Labor-held federal electorates deciding to ignore their MPs’ campaigns and instead turn out for No.
In the seat of Hunter, held by 2022-intake MP Dan Repacholi, more than 67 per cent of voters voted No, with about 70 per cent of the vote counted.
It was similar in Eden-Monaro, held by Local Government and Territories Minister Kristy McBain – where with about half the votes counted more than 55 per cent had voted No.
No was tracking ahead also in Labor-held Gilmore, Financial Services Minister Stephen Jones’s Whitlam – 64 per cent to 36, with about 65 per cent of the vote counted – Dobell, Robertson, Shortland, Paterson, Parramatta, Werriwa and Macarthur.
However, Mr Albanese’s inner-city Grayndler – a Labor heartland – looked set to return a resounding Yes vote, with 77 per cent of voters choosing Yes, with about 50 per cent of all votes counted.
With Yes trailing No in all states and the national majority, the result was likely be called by mid-evening, and Mr Albanese was to address the nation from Parliament House.
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