Noel Pearson’s vow if Indigenous voice to parliament referendum fails

Noel Pearson has declared he will ‘fall silent’ and ‘a whole generation of Indigenous leadership will have failed’ if the voice to parliament vote is unsuccessful.

Indigenous leader Noel Pearson. Picture: Sean Davey

Noel Pearson has declared he will “fall silent” and “a whole generation of Indigenous leadership will have failed” if the Indigenous voice to parliament vote is unsuccessful.

Mr Pearson, a key architect of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, told the ABC on Monday that a new generation would need to start over if constitutional change and this generation’s proposition for reconciliation was rejected by the Australian people.

“I will fall silent. That will be the end of it,” he told the 7.30 program. “If the advocacy of that pathway fails, well then, a whole generation of leadership will have failed, a whole generation of Indigenous leadership will have failed because we will have advocated a coming together in partnership with government and we would have made an invitation to the Australian people that was repudiated, and I don’t think we have anything left after that.

“It will be up to a new generation to chart a new course because we will have been rejected. Our proposition for peace and reconciliation will have been rejected, and that will be a profound decision for the country to make. I hope that it never comes to that.”

Noel Pearson says "a whole generation of Indigenous leadership will have failed" if the Voice to Parliament is rejected. #abc730pic.twitter.com/2fCbPUyGFo

— abc730 (@abc730) February 20, 2023

Mr Pearson aired his dismay about current and former Liberal leaders not supporting the voice.

“I think it is important that Peter (Dutton) now finishes the job that John Howard started in 2007 when he first announced the commitment to constitutional recognition.” he said. “We have gone a long road. Let’s not play a spoiling game now. Let’s not be the undertaker that buries this important and very promising – this very promising prospect we have – that will move the country, will change (the country) … for the better.”

In response to another question, he said: “(I’m) absolutely ­appalled with Tony (Abbott). He was a very strong advocate for constitutional recognition when he was prime minister. As with a lot of things he has changed his view after losing the prime ministership.”

Yet he expressed optimism at the outcome of this 30-year-journey for “official reconciliation”.

“It’s been a long road but I’ve never been surer that this is the opportunity Australians are gonna seize and it is gonna be so crucial to the future, we can’t let this slip out of our hands,” he said.

“I think there’s a lot of detail out there but this is a constitutional change and I understand that we are going to scrutinise and debate every ‘T’ and every ‘I’ of the change that’s proposed. I understand that. There is going to be debate going into this referendum but … I have always sought, as have my Indigenous colleagues, we want to uphold the Constitution and recognise Indigenous people.”