A USTRALIA’S PRIME MINISTER , Anthony Albanese, said it would be a chance to unify the country. The “Voice to Parliament” referendum on October 14th will ask Australians whether they want to change their constitution and enshrine an indigenous advisory body within it. At first, a plurality supported the idea; now polls indicate the compulsory vote will end in a landslide defeat. One of the largest such polls, conducted by Focaldata, a London-based polling group, suggests that 61% of Australians will vote against the government’s proposed amendments (see chart). What went wrong?