This is quite different to a federal election, where there are so many interesting and new talking points that come out of the results analysis - even if a landslide is predicted beforehand. Tonight it just feels like a immediate confirmation of what we've already known for months, and there is no discussion to be had beyond the same talking points that have been debated ad-nauseam throughout the entire campaign. Without an indication of anything further resulting from this referendum, the whole exercise just feels like a complete dead end.
Yeah, I hear you. With an election the country is choosing between two different paths. In this case we're either choosing progress or... not.
One of Dutton's talking points over the last few weeks was that he would propose some alternatives after the referendum. I imagine that will be part of the forthcoming "Albo is out of touch" campaign.
A lot of the commentary I have seen online from non-Indigenous voters, even those who voted yes, is that the government needs to get back to matters of real concern (according to these people). Sadly it seems there is a very real danger of this being the end of mainstream Australia's interest in Indigenous affairs for the foreseeable future.
There's nothing to forgive, I think that is the reality we are facing. We are still very much in this history wars era where we would rather remain willfully ignorant of our past than confront it and move forward as a modern nation. Australia is stuck in the dark ages when it comes to recognition of its Indigenous peoples and it's embarrassing. Not just because we're so far behind other former colonies, but because we don't seem to think there's anything wrong with that.