Langton denies calling No voters racist and stupid after comments revealed

Professor Marcia Langton has been forced to deny slurring No voters in the upcoming Voice referendum in the wake of remarks made at public forum.

Professor Marcia Langton has been forced to deny accusing No voters in the upcoming Voice to Parliament referendum of “base racism” and “sheer stupidity”.

She has instead claimed she was talking about the tactics of the No campaign, and not its supporters, after comments she made at an open forum were reported.

“Every time the No cases raise their arguments, if you start pulling it apart you get down to base racism — I’m sorry to say that’s where it lands — or sheer stupidity,” Professor Langton was reported to have said at the event at WA’s Edith Cowan University.

“If you look at any reputable fact-checker, every one of them says the No case is substantially false. They are lying to you.”

The comments, which were first picked up by the Bunbury Herald, were quickly highlighted by the No campaign as evidence of the divisiveness of those advocating for the referendum.

Actor Jack Thompson and Marcia Langton at the Garma Festival 2023. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Speaking on the floor of parliament, Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the comments were “a window into the psyche of the Yes campaign and it’s a window into the psyche of a modern Labor Party”.

“They refuse to accept that everyday Australians do not like what they see when it comes to the Voice.”

Shadow Indigenous Australians Minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price said the comments illustrated “the mindset and agenda of the Aboriginal activists pushing the divisive voice”.

“Whichever way the referendum goes, the result looks like it will be extremely close and any suggestion No voters who are unpersuaded by their proposed voice are siding with racism or stupidity is highly offensive to at least half the country,” she said.

Indigenous advocate and prominent No campaigner Warren Mundine said: “They (the Yes camp) haven’t learnt their lesson that you don’t win people over by abusing people and threatening them.”

However Prof Langton denied calling No voters “racist and stupid” and said her reported remarks were specifically in response to questions about the tactics of anti-Voice campaigners and compensation claims, not Australians who were considering voting now.

Sussan Ley.

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price.

“I am not a racist and I don’t believe that the majority of Australians are racist,” she said.

“I do believe the No campaigners are using racist tactics.”

Ms Langton said her comments were not in relation to voters.

Asked at the forum if all Aboriginal people would be paid compensation if the Yes vote won, Ms Langton said the argument being used was based on racism.

Noel Pearson.

Warren Mundine.

“Every time the No case raises one of their arguments, if you start pulling it apart, you get down to base racism … or just sheer stupidity,” she said in Bunbury.

The controversy came just days after Noel Pearson, one of the chief advocates for the Voice who has previously come under fire himself for negative comments about No campaigners, attempted to encourage Voice supporters to try a different approach.

“There’s a great swag of Australians who still are undecided or soft in their No or soft in their Yes,” Mr Pearson told ABC Radio Tuesday, adding that opponents needed to be treated with “respect”.