Indigenous voice to parliament: No camp ‘paupers’ expect defeat in race for funding

Opponents to the Indigenous voice are expecting the Yes campaign to raise three times the amount | SEE WHO’S BACKING YES, NO

The Uluru Statement from the Heart on display at the National Press Club in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Opponents of the Indigenous voice are expecting the Yes campaign to raise three times the amount they can through a flood of corporate and philanthropic donations, with Warren Mundine describing the No camp as ­“paupers” in the battle to defeat the October 14 referendum.

Liberal insiders and No campaigners estimate the Yes campaign will have a war chest of “at least $30m” compared to their $10m to $15m.

Yes supporters this week hosed down suggestions the campaign had raised up to $100m, ­describing the resources behind the campaign as “modest”.

“I wish we had $100m,” filmmaker and Yes campaigner ­Rachel Perkins said. “But no, we are running a very targeted campaign. It’s a modest campaign, but we hope to reach all Australians from all walks of life.”

The Yes campaign has garnered the support of hundreds of leading figures and organisations across corporate Australia, including more than 20 of the 43 universities, a number of ASX-listed companies including Telstra and Wesfarmers and more than 20 sporting codes.

Last month, Qantas announced it would provide free flights to Yes campaigners, which The Australian understands will be worth about $500,000.

Mr Mundine, a founding member of Recognise a Better Way and a key No campaigner, said his camp was “fighting every organisation in Australia” in calling for the voice not to pass the referendum.

“Be it business, churches, ­migrant associations, sporting bodies … they are all against us,” he said. “We are the paupers in the room. The Yes side can go and get the support of the sporting codes, but we’re out there talking to the fans. They can get the support of the churches, but we’re talking to the churchgoers.”

Yes23 said this week it had ­already doorknocked more than 100,000 homes, with 300 events to be held across Australia this weekend with the help of 30,000 volunteers.

A spokesman for Fair Australia, the key body driving the No campaign, rejected the claim the Yes campaign had already garnered 30,000 volunteers and said it would hold its own events across the country this weekend.

Fellow No campaigner and Country Liberal Party senator ­ Jacinta Nampijinpa Price said the No side was not supported by the same “corporate” resources as the Yes camp.

“Our campaign is being driven by everyday Australians: mums and dads, grandmas and grandpas who have put their hand in their pockets,” she told Sky News.

Senator Price said most of the campaign would be spent in the battlegrounds of Tasmania and South Australia, and while she had noticed Sydneysiders were trending towards No, she was not going to “write off” NSW or Victoria.

Mr Mundine said rather than receiving multimillion-dollar ­donations, he was mostly seeing “$50 and $100 gifts” from the public.

The Australian reported in December that the No campaign had received two donations above $1m. When asked whether further such donations had been made, Fair Australia refused to discuss matters related to the campaign.

Marcus Blackmore, the son of the founder of vitamin company Blackmores, confirmed he had donated “around $20,000” to the peak body spearheading the No campaign.

He said businesses and corporate leaders were reluctant to ­donate, or to be public about their donations, because of the backlash.

Mr Blackmore’s first comments opposing the voice earlier this year sparked a national campaign to “boycott Blackmores”, which then shot to the top of Twitter’s trending topics.

Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, has not articulated a public position on the voice.