Q+A S2023E34 - The Voice Vote and Violence in the Middle East

This week on Q+A… Australia after the referendum. On Saturday the nation voted not to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the Constitution. So what comes next? And what does it mean for First Nations people?

Meanwhile, the eyes of the world are on the Middle East, as Israel strikes back against the deadly attacks by Hamas, vowing that Gaza "will never return to what it was". With a ground offensive looming, it's feared the conflict could leader to a wider war in the region. What do the coming weeks hold?

And a win for quiet diplomacy, with journalist Cheng Lei back home in Australia after three years' detention in China. Her release comes ahead of the PM's visit to Beijing and has been celebrated as "a moment of sunshine for all Australians". Does this herald a further easing of tensions with China?

Joining Patricia Karvelas on the panel live in Melbourne:

Alexander Downer, Former Foreign Affairs Minister 
Patrick Gorman, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister
James McGrath, Liberal Senator for Queensland
Dee Madigan, Creative Director & Author

Lidia Thorpe, Independent Senator for Victoria: was supposed to appear but pulled out at the last minute.