Voice referendum: The last word from the Yes and No sides
As Australians head to the polls to cast their vote in the Indigenous voice referendum, prominent figures from both the Yes and No sides make their case a final time.
As Australians head to the polls to cast their vote in the Indigenous voice referendum, prominent figures from the Yes and No sides of the debate have the last word.
VOTE NO
LIDIA THORPE, INDEPENDENT VICTORIAN SENATOR
“Another powerless advisory body is not a step in the right direction. It is a distraction from the government’s continued crimes against First Peoples. Vote No for a fresh start, based on recognition of First Peoples’ sovereignty. Vote No for healing, truth-telling, treaty and government action on recommendations it has ignored for decades.”
NYUNGGAI WARREN MUNDINE, LEADING NO CAMPAIGNER
“We believe all Australians should be equal under our Constitution and we don’t want to be divided. The voice is based on a lie that Indigenous Australians support the voice when we’re actually divided. Vote No to the voice and let’s move forward with accountability, education, economic participation and social change.”
IAN CALLINAN, FORMER HIGH COURT JUSTICE
“I have thought long and hard, and with no disrespect to those of a different mind, I believe that the legal risks of this confused and ambiguous proposal far outweigh any practical and beneficial outcomes that it could produce. Either way I hope there is no gnashing of teeth or triumphalism.”
TONY ABBOTT, FORMER PRIME MINISTER
Vote No to keep the Constitution colourblind, to avoid gumming up government even further, and to end the separatism that is at the root of Aboriginal disadvantage. Voting No doesn’t mean thinking less of Aboriginal people, rather it’s saying Yes to equality and Yes to unity as we’ve always done.
MICHAEL MANSELL, ABORIGINAL LAND COUNCIL OF TASMANIA CHAIR
“Political reform to empower Indigenous peoples must involve Aboriginals making decisions, not advising others. The voice idea is a backward step, permanently relegating Aborigines to subservience in the constitution. Vote No, so we can begin talks about designated Aboriginal seats in the Senate, which gives Aborigines a proportionate share of power.”
KERRYNNE LIDDLE, LIBERAL SENATOR
“Our constitution belongs to all of us equally and must remain so. A constitutionally enshrined body for one group divides Australians. Recognition of Indigenous Australians could have been achieved without tying it to a risky permanent Canberra voice - creating another layer to an existing bureaucracy. There is no detail which is why, as an Indigenous Australian, I say no to this risky, divisive and permanent voice”.
VOTE YES
PAT TURNER, CONVENER OF THE COALITION OF PEAKS
“We make the most progress in closing the gap when governments listen to community-led solutions and back us. But what one government builds, another tears down. A voice aims to fix that. It gives us recognition and confidence that, one day, our nation will have equality of outcomes for all.”
MATTHEW PALMER, CENTRAL LAND COUNCIL CHAIR
“No is how my family of 10 lives now - in an unlined tin shed that’s freezing in winter and boiling hot in summer. I have worked hard all my life, I send my little daughter to preschool. Only a Yes vote will give her the same chances as other children in our rich country.”
ROBERT FRENCH, FORMER HIGH COURT CHIEF JUSTICE
“The voice will recognise our deep history and the First Peoples who made it. It will enrich our Constitution so that it reflects more than the voices of the 19th century men who drafted it. It will provide a practical means of achieving better laws and policies. It is legally sensible. Importantly, it will mean future generations of Australians can look back to this time in our history with pride.”
DEAN PARKIN, YES23 DIRECTOR
“Yes is our best shot at breaking the cycle of entrenched disadvantage. Yes can shift the dial and improve our lives. Yes costs nothing for the 97 per cent of non-Indigenous Australians.
But it’s a giant step forward for Indigenous people. No means more of the same. Yes is hope for a better future.”
BRIDGET CAMA, ULURU YOUTH DIALOGUE CO-CHAIR
“We already live in ‘no’. The status quo isn’t working. This referendum is an opportunity to say YES to positive change and recognition. Australians won’t see this opportunity again. I urge Australians to look at the question in front of you. It’s a simple ask for a brighter future for our children”
LINDA BURNEY, INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS MINISTER
“Everyone agrees the life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians are unacceptable. By voting yes, we can change that. By voting yes, we can recognise the extraordinary history that we all share in this country of 65,000 years. Let us come together as a nation and vote Yes.”
