Stasis quo amid row over Indigenous voice vote information
The Coalition is refusing to support the Albanese government’s voice referendum machinery legislation unless it commits to publicly funding both sides of the campaign.
The Coalition is refusing to support the Albanese government’s voice referendum machinery legislation unless it commits to publicly funding both sides of the campaign, after Labor did an about-face and agreed to reinstate pamphlets outlining the Yes and No cases.
Special Minister of State Don Farrell remains in negotiations with his opposition counterpart, Jane Hume, on the mechanics of the referendum, but senior government sources confirmed on Wednesday that Anthony Albanese had agreed to the pamphlet.
In December, Senator Farrell, Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and Special Envoy for Reconciliation Patrick Dodson said a pamphlet did not need to be posted to every household in the digital age because politicians could express their views through TV, email and social media.
Peter Dutton labelled the government’s move to restore the pamphlet, which is required under existing referendum machinery law, an “obvious back flip” by the Prime Minister.
The Coalition wants the pamphlet to contain up to 2000 words on both the Yes and No cases.
“It was never sustainable for the Prime Minister to say to the Australian people that he wanted them to vote in a referendum and then only provide an argument for one side of the case,” the Opposition Leader said.
“It was, frankly, quite arrogant of the Prime Minister to believe he didn’t need to provide details to the Australian people.
“Many people, particularly those where English is not their first language, they do want to sit down, particularly older Australians, not online, but to do it with the booklet in front of them so that they can – in a language that they feel most comfortable with – read all the detail and then if there are further questions, they can research from there. That’s a perfectly reasonable position.
“The other thing, of course, that the Prime Minister has to do is to provide equal funding for both sides of the argument. That is completely and utterly rational.
“It’s the precedent and it should be the case in relation to the ‘yes’ or ‘no’ case.”
Mr Dutton noted there was $7.5m of taxpayer funds given to both sides of the republic referendum in 1999, equivalent to $13.95m today.
The government wants to achieve bipartisanship on the referendum legislation but so far only ACT independent senator David Pocock has indicated support for machinery provisions.
Greens sources said funding for the Yes and No campaigns would not change its position but the party, whose support will be crucial in the unlikely event the Coalition opposes the referendum legislation, wants amendments to increase the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The Greens are pushing for on-the-day enrolment, more remote mobile polling booths and phone voting for anyone unable to access a polling place. They will also push the government to lower the voting age, have real-time publication of donations and disclose donations above $1000.
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