Yes23 campaign director linked voice to January 26

Dean Parkin told a religious forum the voice was the mechanism for Indigenous Australians to influence change on Australia Day and ‘any other issues’ impacting them.

Yes23 campaign director Dean Parkin last year said the voice would give Indigenous Australians a “seat at the table” to influence change on issues including January 26th. Picture: Liam Kidston

Yes23 campaign director Dean Parkin told a religious forum that the voice to parliament was the mechanism for Indigenous Australians to influence change on Australia Day and “any other issues” impacting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

In an “Exploring 26th January” online forum hosted by Evangelisation Brisbane, Mr Parkin said a constitutionally enshrined voice was the vehicle for Indigenous Australians to have a seat at the table and ensure that the focus of decision-makers was on “truth”.

“We need to make sure that we have that voice in place because that … constitutionally guaranteed voice is going to be the mechanism that allows us a seat at the table to ensure that these conversations around truth, be it on the 26th, be it on any other issues that’s affecting our people, that we have a real say and we have a real opportunity to actually influence change,” Mr Parkin told Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge in a video posted on January 20 last year.

“Because I don’t want to be here … in 30 years time, 40 years time having the same conversation. That’s why we need that voice in place to make sure that when we think about these issues that are approaching, the 26th or anything else, that we have a genuine seat at the table and that’s the opportunity that’s before us. I believe we’ll get there.

“And hopefully we’ll be able to make more of an impact and have more of a say in changing the trajectory of our nation.”

Mr Parkin sat on the First Nations Referendum Working Group alongside prominent Indigenous leaders including Thomas Mayo, Noel Pearson, Megan Davis and Pat Anderson.

A Yes23 campaign spokesman told The Australian that Mr Parkin was invited to speak on a panel last year on the topic of January 26 as “part of ongoing engagement with the Catholic Church”.

“His comments did not canvas changing the date of Australia Day, but referenced discussion of the date as part of the annual national conversation,” the Yes23 spokesman said.

“Mr Parkin has been consistently clear that a voice will be focused on practical issues that matter to Indigenous communities, like health services, education and jobs.”

New national polling of 3,444 Australians by the No campaign in the week to June 1 claims that changing or abolishing Australia Day is a hot-button issue for voters. The polling shows a dramatic jump in opposition to the voice to parliament and executive government if it led to Australia Day being abolished altogether.

In Question Time on Wednesday, Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney said the voice to parliament referendum “is not about culture wars” and distanced herself from her claim the day before that the advisory body won’t offer advice on Australia Day.

“It is not the policy of this government to change the date of Australia Day. Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have strong views about Australia Day but it is the parliament that makes those decisions and it is clear from the question that we are putting to the Australian people (at the referendum) that the power of the parliament will not change,” Ms Burney said.

“The voice may give advice but the parliament retains its primacy, the parliament will make laws. Subsection three (of the voice constitutional amendment) lays this out clearly.

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney in Question Time on Wednesday, pushing back against injecting “culture wars” into the voice debate. Picture: Martin Ollman/NCA NewsWire

“And it would do well for people to listen to this: the parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have the power to make laws with respect to matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice, including its composition, functions, powers and procedures.”

Ms Burney said “this is not about culture wars, this is about closing the gap.

“This isn’t about division, this is about bringing people together. This isn’t about tokenism, it’s about making a practical difference,” she said.

“The voice will not be bothered by culture wars. It will focus on the practical differences in terms of closing the gap. It will focus on matters specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people or matters that affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people differently, and the key word there is ‘differently’.

“The word ‘differently’ talks about things like the 10-year gap in life expectancy. It talks about the chance that our young people are more incarcerated than possibly going to university. It talks about infant and maternal mortality. It talks about children born at lower birth weights, high rates of family violence, lower rates of finishing school and higher rates of unemployment, overcrowding in houses. It will not be involved in culture wars.”

The Australian can reveal that in 2005, Ms Burney told the NSW Parliament that “Australia Day and survival day are moving closer together: a true understanding of our shared history and the truth about our nation”.

“I do not believe 26 January is the appropriate day, contrary to the feelings of many Australians. However, 26 January in Marrickville and Canterbury was inspiring,” Ms Burney said in a statement to NSW Parliament about Australia Day celebrations in her then state electorate.

Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said “if the Minister herself has argued Australia Day affects Indigenous Australians differently, on what basis could she possibly claim that the Voice will not be giving advice on Australia Day?”

“Minister Burney said she wasn’t interested in the culture wars … but that’s in total contradiction with what she told state parliament as a NSW MP,” Ms Ley said.

Mr Parkin and Ms Burney on Tuesday distanced themselves from comments made by Mr Mayo after The Australian revealed he previously threatened that politicians would be punished if they ignored the voice advisory body.

With the No campaign seizing on Mr Mayo’s comments, Mr Parkin rejected any link between the voice and ‘Pay the Rent’, reparations and compensation, ruled-out punishing politicians and acknowledged the government and parliament of the day could say no to a voice advisory body.