Professor Marcia Langton says Liberal, National parties’ support of the Voice No vote appeals to ‘racist base’

A prominent academic has described police and social workers as “racist” and told a NAIDOC Week audience opposition to the Voice was meant to appeal to the Coalition’s “racist base”.

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney has refused to condemn Professor Marcia Langton after revelations she described the police as racist.

During Question Time, the Coalition latched onto comments from Ms Langton that social workers are “by and large white and racist” and “police are racist and get brownie points for running people up” and asked Ms Burney if she would condemn them.

Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

In response, Ms Burney said there was no place for racism in Australia.

“On October 14, Australians will come together to vote on whether we should recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our constitution,” she told parliament.

“This is our moment to embrace recognition. Our moment to move Australia forward more united. Our moment to listen to the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

“I say once again, there is no room for racism in Australia.

“The pain of racism is real for those people who have experienced it.

“It is something that should not be used for political purposes. It is something that we should all agree is harmful and unacceptable, and it is something that we should all agree it must stop. I have faith in the Australian people to engage in this debate respectfully.”

Professor Langton said she was considering legal action against Opposition Leader Peter Dutton for posting a “tile“ on his Instagram page. Picture: Instagram

Professor Marcia Langton speaking at a NAIDOC Week event in Queensland on July 7. Picture: Supplied

Earlier on Wednesday, The Daily Telegraph revealed Professor Langton told an audience at a NAIDOC Week event in Queensland that the Coalition’s opposition to the Voice was meant to appeal to the Liberal and National parties’ “racist base,” it can be revealed.

Delivering the inaugural UQ NAIDOC Week Keynote Lecture on July 7, Professor Langton said that “both conservative leaders, the Liberal Party opposition leader Peter Dutton and the National Party leader David Littleproud have committed their parties to advocating a hard No case for the question”.

“Their arguments are specious and increasingly absurd, appealing to their racist base.”

The revelations come as controversy continues to swirl around Professor Langton’s comments to a public forum on the Voice in Bunbury, WA, during which she said would-be “no” voters were being sold arguments rooted in “base racism” or “sheer stupidity.”

While initial reporting suggested that Professor Langton was referring specifically to would-be No voters, the Melbourne University academic quickly sought to clarify that she was only referring to the arguments against the referendum, not those actually voting against it.

Speaking on RN Breakfast Wednesday morning, Professor Langton said, “What I actually said was in answer to a question at a public meeting in Bunbury and I was asked by a woman who had been told that if the Yes vote succeeds Aborigines will be getting compensation”.

“When you see these claims and you start to take them apart they are based on racism and often stupidity.”

Professor Langton said she was considering legal action against Opposition Leader Peter Dutton for posting a “tile” on his Instagram page that contained an early headline about the controversy including the words “No voters branded ‘racist, stupid’ by prominent Voice campaigner Marcia Langton.”

“Today I will have to go to a lawyer to write to Peter Dutton requesting that he remove this post from his Instagram.”

“I don’t believe most Australians are racist.”

Professor Langton has been approached for comment via the University of Melbourne.

In a video shared by Sky News, Ms Langton was captured making the comments.

“Families have been broken apart by social workers who are, by and large, white and racist,” she said in the video.

“We need a radical culture change to stop the police from criminalising more and more people.

“Simply because the police are racist, because they get brownie points to rounding people up.”