Douglas Smith: Voice referendum brings with it toxic rhetoric on Indigenous issues

As we get closer to a referendum on enshrining an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, many First Australians are worried, writes Douglas Smith.

It’s been a pretty busy year in the Indigenous affairs space. It seems Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament has elevated conversations about First Nations people.

We seem to be talked about now more than ever, but not a lot of it is good. With the Voice debate comes the toxic rhetoric on Indigenous issues from the public, politicians and media commentators.

As a Blakfulla, it’s something I expect. I’m used to hearing it. For example, I see it whenever the debate on January 26 comes around each year, or anything significant for Indigenous people to gather and voice their concerns about.

Participants wearing Australian and Aboriginal flags are seen aboard a ferry on Sydney Harbour on Australia Day in 2018. Picture: AAP

A lot of the time the counter arguments for January 26, which I still consider to be Australia’s most divisive day, generally sound like: “It’s a day for all Australians.” Or that it “wasn’t a particularly flash day” for British convicts either.

These arguments are mostly formed by people who I believe do not have a proper understanding of how such a day can negatively impact on Indigenous people. And it’s usually their voice that is most heard.

As we approach a referendum on enshrining an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, and also the South Australian government’s push to legislate a state-based Voice, I can only expect the rhetoric to worsen.

Indigenous people will be more talked about and debated over, all the while still being the most disadvantaged race of people in the country. As we have been since colonisation.

When Mr Albanese first came to power, I was fortunate enough to sit down with him and ask for the details about how the Voice would work, and what it would mean for First Nations peoples.

Anthony Albanese speaks with Douglas Smith earlier this year. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Mr Albanese and Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney are not asking Australians to vote “yes” on the Voice for the details of how it will function, they’re asking Australians to vote “yes” on the Voice on moral principle.

The moral principle and belief that Indigenous Australians for too long have had policies developed and passed that directly affect them without their input.

When a politician such as Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price opposes the Voice and becomes the face of the “no” campaign, because she believes “we are all regarded as equal under the law”, it’s sad for me.

Leader of the Nationals David Littleproud with Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

We may be equal under the law, but we are not treated the same, Ms Price. I’ve seen policies by law enforcement that specifically target Indigenous people, and as a result, add to the already high incarceration rates of Indigenous people in every state and territory.

Non-Indigenous Australia has never been able to fix the problems Indigenous people face because only we know how to do that.

I feel that the discussion about what the Voice is, and how it will work, has taken focus away from the issues that continue to negatively impact Indigenous Australians every day.

This year’s Closing the Gap Report, which showed four of the seven targets going backwards, gave me a few things to think about.

The main things being is that Indigenous communities remain disempowered across the country, the statistics remain high and the “practical measures” that governments want to put in place for Indigenous people are not helping.

I’m not suggesting that a Voice to Parliament will fix everything, because I really don’t know if it will.

All I can say is, nothing has worked in the past because Indigenous people have never had enough input in decisions on policies that have led us to where we are.