In the wake of the recent Voice referendum failure, pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to step down from his position.

The referendum, which aimed to establish a constitutionally enshrined Indigenous Voice to Parliament, is expected to fall short of the required majority, dealing a significant blow to the government’s efforts.

While the official announcement of the results by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is a few days away, it appears highly improbable that the country will achieve the necessary majority for the referendum to succeed.

With the anticipated shortfall in votes in favour of the Voice to Parliament, opponents have seized the opportunity to direct their criticism toward the Prime Minister.

Sky News host Andrew Bolt was among the first to call for the PM to step down, questioning “how he can continue” in the role.

“He’s put us through this nightmare and wasted nearly $400 million of taxpayers money, putting Australians at each other’s throats,” he said.

“And unfortunately the poison from all this will survive.”

South Australian Opposition Leader David Speirs claimed Albanese should resign given “the damage he has done to our country and to the very fabric of what it means to be Australian”, labelling it “heartbreaking”.

“The prime minister should think about his future. I don’t think he will resign but there are international precedents there,” Spiers added.

While Opposition Leader Peter Dutton stopped short of calling for the Prime Minister’s resignation, he did voice his criticism of Albanese’s handling of the referendum.

“What we’ve seen tonight is Australians literally in their millions reject the prime minister’s divisive referendum,” Dutton said.

“The prime minister clearly was not across the detail, and he refused to explain or answer reasonable questions from Australians.

“He has held the pen of this definitive chapter in our nation’s history, and if he has any strength in his leadership, he must take responsibility for it.”

Despite continued criticism and the outcome of the vote, Albanese is showing no signs of slowing down, reaffirming his commitment to “seek better outcomes for Indigenous Australians and their children and generations to come”.

Albanese expressed that, although it wasn’t the outcome he had anticipated, he “respects” the choice made by the Australian electorate.

“Just as the Uluru Statement from the Heart was an invitation extended with humility, grace and optimism for the future, tonight we must meet this result with the same grace and humility,” he said.

“When you do the hard things, when you aim high, sometimes you fall short. And tonight we acknowledge, understand and respect that we have.”