‘You’re not bloody racist’: Every key moment at Senator’s sellout tour

A controversial politician who has led the charge in advocating against The Voice received overwhelming support from a sellout crowd in Toowoomba. Here are the biggest moments from the event.

It was pitched as a way to unite Australia and create further representation in parliament, but the Indigenous Voice to parliament has quickly become a political game of tennis.

It was pitched as a way to unite Australia and create further representation in parliament, but the Indigenous Voice to parliament has quickly become a political game of tennis.

Despite the issue sparking heated debate across the nation, prominent ‘No’ campaigner and Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price received overwhelming support from the crowd of a sold out Toowoomba event on Monday night.

The event which is part of a national tour generated the largest attendance numbers so far, with an estimated 1400 filled seats at the Rumours International Convention Centre.

The crowd was asked to stand as the Senator walked onto the venue stage and the audience erupted into a rapturous of applause.

Anti-Voice Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price at a sold out Rumours International. Picture: Kevin Farmer

The Senator thanked the Toowoomba community, praising them for giving her “the strength and confidence to get out and fight on behalf of all Australians”.

“To stand up against that (the Yes vote) for me is to stand up for our wonderful Australian values, for what it means to be an Australian, to maintain who we are but to be proud to call ourselves Australian again,” Ms Price said.

“The values that each and every single one of us from the time we became a nation that we’ve created together – whether we come from the First Australians in this country, whether we come from those who were dispossessed of their land and brought over in chains as convicts.”

The Warlpiri woman made several claims throughout the night including that The Voice had “divided the nation” and she also called for an audit to be conducted into the spending of the ‘Yes’ campaign.

“The referendum we are currently faced with as a nation, I would have to say is probably the most divisive referendum that we’ve been confronted with in our nation’s history,” she said.

“Marginalised Australians exist but not to one particular group – they exist across the board, so we need to start serving Australians on the basis of need and not on the basis of race.

“I truly hope after tonight you can feel confident in knowing you’re not bloody racist because you vote ‘No’.

“Ultimately you’re here because you give a damn about this country and ultimately all Australians.”

Anti-Voice Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price at a sold out Rumours International. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Ms Price said the government had created ‘expensive bureaucracies over and over’ and ‘largely they had not worked’ but did not indicate which initiatives she was referencing.

Throughout the night the vast majority of the crowds erupted in applause and yelled out in support of the Senator.

When the event commenced, a video of Federal Member Garth Hamilton delivering a speech to parliament was projected on multiple screens in the room.

Event MC and Toowoomba man Ben Yong then addressed the crowd, opening up about his Asian heritage and journey to becoming an Australian citizen as a young child.

“The beautiful life that I’ve been able to build as a second-generation immigrant man has been founded on embracing the Australian way of life,” he said.

“The Australian way of life where you laugh with your mates, the Australian way of life that fosters courage, ingenuity and endurance in the human spirit, the Australian way of life where you help your mates regardless of their race, religion or gender, the Australian way of life that is built on common sense.

“But we live in a day and age where this way of life is constantly under threat – and let me be clear – The Voice is an absolute threat to the Australian way of life.

“The brilliance of The Voice is it’s very difficult to oppose and if you dare do, you’re labelled a racist bigot.”

Anti-Voice Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and husband Colin Lillie with Groom MP Garth Hamilton (right) at the conclusion of the sold out Rumours International talk. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Audiences were then transported inside the Northern Territory home of the Senator and her Scottish-Australian husband Colin Lillie and their four children.

Throughout the video the couple discussed raising their children in a household of blended heritages.

The evening concluded with a ‘Q&A’ session which involved Mr Hamilton asking questions about The Voice to the Senator.

Also in attendance on the night was North Toowoomba MP Trevor Watts, Suzie Holt who ran for the previous election as an independent candidate for Groom and Toowoomba region Councillor Tim McMahon.

It comes after a poll which surveyed more than 1700 Toowoomba residents revealed the vast majority would be voting no in referendum later this year.

The results were collected independently on behalf of the Federal Member of Groom Garth Hamilton, revealing 87 per cent of respondents were against The Voice.

Despite the overwhelming support received at the event, several prominent members of the Toowoomba community have voiced their concerns about the ‘No’ campaign.