Social media disinformation was identified as one of the reasons for failure of the referendum, and the Opposition leader Peter Dutton voiced his opposition right from the start and did everything he could to block a Yes outcome.

[PM] Anthony Albanese calls for unity after Australians resoundingly vote down Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum

"Prime Minster Anthony Albanese has vowed to forge a new way forward to close the gap in life outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, after voters resoundingly rejected recognising the First Australians in the constitution with a Voice to Parliament.

"'Tonight is not the end of the road and is certainly not the end of our efforts to bring people together,' Mr Albanese said on Saturday night.

"'The issues we sought to address have not gone away and neither have the people of goodwill and good heart, who want to address them and address them we will.'

"The Voice to Parliament would have been an advisory body with no power of veto but permanently enshrined in the constitution, meaning a future government of the day could not abolish it without holding another referendum.

"It was first proposed after hundreds of Indigenous Australians, who took part in the Uluru Dialogues, issued the Statement from the Heart six years ago.

"That statement called for a constitutionally enshrined Voice along with truth telling and treaty.

"Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney said the government would announce in the coming months renewed government commitments to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, which includes life expectancy, education and the rates of suicide and disease."