The Voice referendum: The millions of Aussie residents who can't vote
Many Aussie residents like Natalie feel their voices should be heard in the upcoming referendum.
Since Dutch national Natalie Lasance moved to Australia over 10 years ago, she has made a home for herself. The 35-year-old, with her husband Alex, has put down roots in Melbourne, started a successful business and welcomed a daughter, Rory, now three.
Despite intending to live in the country for the rest of her life, as one of Australia’s millions of permanent residents, Natalie doesn’t have the right to vote in the upcoming Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum on October 14.
Temporary visa and permanent residency holders make up roughly 10 per cent of the population living in Australia with the top overseas-born residents in Australia in 2020 coming from England, India, China and New Zealand.
Permanent residents reluctant to give up home passports
Natalie, a Dutch national, is entitled to apply for Australian citizenship but rules in her home country prevent her from having two passports.
She feels non-citizens should have a say in the important decisions that affect the country.
“I feel very passionate about my local community and also about where society is headed as a whole,” she said. “My daughter is an Australian citizen and I want to make sure we leave the world in a good place for her generation.
“The decisions we make today will directly impact the kind of world and economy she will grow up in,” she says. “I also feel like my family and my business pays plenty of tax so we should probably have a say in how it is spent. I really am a part of this country and economy.”
Not wanting to give up her European nationality, Natalie is in a difficult position and despite being unable to vote, she does her best to speak to friends, family and colleagues about important political topics.
Aussies can vote in New Zealand, but not the other way around
Despite Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recently announcing plans to make it easier for hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders living in the country to become Australian, those who haven’t had their citizenship papers stamped won’t be able to vote.
Meanwhile, Australian residents who have lived in New Zealand for more than 12 months have the right to vote in elections across the ditch.
“As a full tax paying resident and permanent member of Australian society, I wish I was valued enough to participate in Australian democracy,” said James, a Kiwi living in Sydney. “If an Australian can vote in my country, why shouldn’t I be able to vote here?”
Permanent residents make good community members
Josh Roose, a political sociologist and Associate Professor at Deakin University, argues that if non-residents meet a certain threshold when it comes to participating in society, they should, in theory, be able to vote.
“I don't think that a piece of paper necessarily makes you more Australian,” he says. “If you’re granted permanent residency in Australia, there’s a strong chance you have good character and are contributing to society and meeting the responsibilities for citizenship.”
“There might be cases where they've got property or land or some sort of economic tie that requires that they maintain that connection to their homeland.”
While Associate Professor Roose isn’t convinced non-citizens will ever gain the right to vote in Australia, he sees no reason why they cannot participate in politics.
“I think people have the right to participate in the politics of the country [where they live],” he said. “Politics is never truly local. We have international factors shaping our elections. [Non Citizens] have got a right to do everything except go in that room and vote.”
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