Indigenous leader calls out Pitt for playing political football with Indigenous Voice

Indigenous leader Kerry Blackman has described Hinkler LNP MP Keith Pitt’s criticism of the Voice as ‘playing political football’ with Indigenous people.

Kerry Blackwell has called out Keith Pitt for ‘playing political football’ with Indigenous people in his comments on the Indigenous Voice proposal.

First Nations elder and academic Kerry Blackman has called out Hinkler LNP MP Keith Pitt for “playing political football” with Indigenous people in recent comments calling for more detail on the Indigenous Voice proposal.

Following Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s recent announcement of the wording of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum, Mr Pitt has criticised the proposal as lacking detail on how it will address disadvantage in Indigenous communities.

“I, along with others, are yet to see any detail that explains how the proposed Voice will help with the challenging situations in Aboriginal communities right across Australia,” Mr Pitt said in a media release distributed on March 23, 2023.

“How will it help children who are being sexually assaulted? How will it help stop domestic violence? How will it help people get an education or a job? How will it tackle crime and issues around alcohol dependency?”

Hinkler LNP Keith Pitt has criticised the Voice proposal as lacking detail on how it will address disadvantage in Indigenous communities.

Mr Pitt also questioned the role of the Voice in making representations to the parliament and the executive government on matters that affect Indigenous people.

“Isn’t that what any Member and Senator – including the 11 Indigenous Australians who were democratically elected by their communities – already does?,” he said.

“Changes to the wording of the Australian Constitution is not something that should be based on a feeling, but that’s what Labor wants you to do: vote on a feeling.”

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In response, Dr Blackman, director of the Gidarjil Development Corporation, said that the arguments of insufficient detail made by opponents of the Indigenous Voice to parliament were “generally used to kick blackfellas around as a political football.”

“Non-Aboriginal people like Keith Pitt have to stop hiding behind this rhetoric - ‘how‘s it gonna stop this and how’s it gonna stop down that’,” Dr Blackman said.

“Give it a go, and then we’ll do some analysis in a couple of years time - how do we know until we try something that‘s it’s not going to work?”

Dr Blackman points to the escalation of crime and domestic violence in Alice Springs in recent months as evidence of the failure of existing approaches by government to address Indigenous disadvantage.

“You have a look at the Alice Springs situation; it’s bureaucrats that stuffed up - they’re not blackfellas,” he said.

“Bureaucrats have never fixed anything, they’ve actually messed things up - they’ve been a part of the problem.”

First Nations elder and academic Kerry Blackman said that the Voice will allow Aboriginal people to find grassroots solutions to grassroots problems in Indigenous communities.

The Indigenous Voice to parliament will improve existing approaches by giving First Nations people input into the solutions for problems in their own communities.

“Bureaucrats will never be able to solve Aboriginal problems - Aboriginal people have to solve their own problems,” Dr Blackman said.

“We‘re talking about transforming people’s lives - that comes from within, it doesn’t come from without with a magic wand.

“What we need is grassroots solutions to grassroots problem - we don’t need other people to speak for us, we need to speak directly to the government.

“And that’s the Voice, being heard loud and clear.”

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Dr Blackman encouraged Australians to vote in support of the Indigenous Voice to parliament in order to achieve self-determination for Indigenous people.

“There’s no reason why you would not support Aboriginal people in self management and self-determination - being involved in developing and designing their own policies and programs that affect them, and which will achieve ultimately good outcomes for communities.

“I would urge all white Australia to get behind First Nations people so that we can truly be a reconciled nation where we can walk together, talk together, work together, and do things together.”

Originally published as Indigenous leader calls out Pitt for playing political football with Indigenous Voice