Darwin city council delays Voice motion until after the referendum

Darwin city council was set to vote on whether it should openly support the Voice to Parliament, until the motion was delayed to after the referendum.

Darwin council buildings will remain bare of any Yes banners after a motion on whether the local government should support the Voice was spectacularly delayed.

Councillors were set to vote on the proposal at Tuesday’s general meeting until councillor Mick Palmer delayed until after the referendum, rendering it obsolete.

A council spokeswoman said adjournments could happen without notice and must be allowed.

“If a procedural motion to adjourn the debate does not specify a date, as was the case with (Tuesday’s) motion, the matter shall be included in the business papers for the next ordinary meeting,” she said.

“As such council will consider the matter on Tuesday, October 17.”

The referendum will be held three days earlier.

The initial motion, put forward by councillor Morgan Rickard, suggested council publicly support the Yes23 Campaign through posters, banners and social media posts.

Morgan Rickard has put forward a motion for the Darwin Council to support the Voice. Picture: NT Greens.

“Darwin is the capital city with the highest population of First Nations people in Australia,” he said in his motion.

“It is therefore the capital city with the highest number of residents per capita who will be affected by the outcomes of the referendum.

“One of Darwin’s strongest and closest working partnerships is with Larrakia Nation … who have thrown their public support behind the Yes23 Campaign.

“In respect of our ongoing and close working partnership with Larrakia Nation and all First Nations people it is a testament to our commitment to that partnership that we also support the campaign.”

However, councillor Mick Palmer, while not stating he was opposed to the Voice itself, said the motion of supporting one side of the vote over the other was “completely inappropriate”.

“It’s just an abuse of function in terms of what the city council is there to do and what we were elected to do,” Mr Palmer said.

“Then it goes further than that, it forces staff to take a position, or accept a position, they may not necessarily agree with.

“It’s clearly designed to favour one side of an argument at the exclusion of the side in what is purely a political debate.

Darwin Councillor Mick Palmer has said it is not council’s job to sway people’s decision on the Voice. Picture: Glenn Campbell

“The people of Darwin want the council to do council things, not to influence people in what is a private decision.

“My response is not one that is anti the Voice, it is anti-council having anything to do with it.”

Mr Palmer said he believed other councillors were at odds with the motion.

Mayor Kon Vatskalis said the motion would come down to the council’s vote, but did say it was not council’s place to tell people how to vote.

“I’ve got a problem with anybody trying to guide people on which way to vote,” Mr Vatskalis said.

“Voting yes or no is your personal decision to make and you should make it without people telling you one way or another.

City of Darwin mayor Kon Vatskalis said he was opposed to the idea of council telling people how to vote. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“People would tell us ‘why are you voting that way? Your job is rubbish, rates and roads’.”

Mr Rickard said the motion “doesn’t force anyone to vote one way or another” rather it asks “council to publicly, and transparently say ‘this is what we support’.”

He said the referendum was very much council’s business, more so than the Russia-Ukraine war which the Civic Centre lit up with the colours of Ukraine to show its support for in 2022.

“This motion is an act of responsiveness to a group of Darwin ratepayers and their aspirations,” he said.

“There is a strong likelihood that should the Voice get up, City of Darwin will be asked to nominate a First Nations staff and/or elected member to sit on the Darwin regional voice committee.

“Last year the Civic Centre was lit up with the colours of another nation’s flag in support of their efforts in an armed conflict. This is an extremely political position to take.

“So I ask those people who think this motion should not even be considered, what is more appropriate? Is it more appropriate for your local council to involve itself in international conflicts?

“Or more appropriate to respond to residents’ requests to seek councillors’ support on an issue which will have very real impacts in our own backyard?”