So, the Voice

[Ozgirl75]

I’m trying to follow it from the U.K. where I’m living this year and it seems massively political and divisive, is that what it’s like over there or is that just being started by the media?

@MyGardensAMess if you look at the Guardian website, they have articles on yes and no pamphlets which they have annotated and fact-checked - that might help?

and Sky News leans to the Lunar right. So why quote it if you’re so anti- media bias?

Magda Szubanski tweeted something Noel Pearson had to say.

So here Noel Pearson spells it out…

“When you boil it down to its core it is an ADVISORY COMMITTEE. It CAN’T DIRECT THE PARLIAMENT…”

It’s just there to ADVISE govt to better outcomes

Over 80% of First Nations People want The Voice. Who the fuck am I, a white person, to say no?

This is what they’ve asked of me (of us) and we need to do it for them.

It strikes me as terribly unfair that the original inhabitants of this land, the oldest continuous surviving people in the history of the world, have to ask for this.

It will strike me as obscene if we can’t give this to them because people are either frightened they might lose something (they won’t) or that they are somehow frightened it will ‘damage’ the constitution (it won’t) or that they are just racist.

I can't vote here, but if I could I'd be voting yes, with my nostrils pinched. Not because I think The Voice is wrong, but because I think it is fucking offensive that non-indigenous people get to have a say as to whether indigenous people, with specific needs related to culture and colonisation should have a specific, recognised advisory body for the government of the day. Yes is just the right thing to do, and should have been done decades ago.

You know who else has advisory bodies? all sorts of groups: big tech, big business, mining, much of it funded by money that should be paid in taxes. But somehow when its a lobby group its ok... :(

There will be marches all around Australia next weekend in support of Yes. I don't march often but I will be there for this one.

The ABC tonight at 8.30 is about indigenous communities divided about the Voice. In case anyone is reading now, unfortunately I am late posting.

That could be interesting. I'll try to watch that.

I'm watching now... 🙂

Well that was worth watching! It's still a Yes from me, but I can understand the indigenous people's suspicion of whether it will really make any improvement for them. That man who said the taking of his father (I think it was his father) was still affecting his family today - yes, the trauma echoes for generations.
I still see the Voice as a first step - and I know it's not enough.
I'll be interested to hear your opinion, MyGardensAMess! 🙂

From the Saturday Paper today:

“The questions in Australian referendums are almost invariably very short, only about principle.

There are never any details about how a “Yes” will be implemented.

The composition, size, mode of election and terms of reference for the Voice will be determined by the parliament, not by the prime minister or the government, and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton should acknowledge that he would have to share in its creation.”

“The Voice is our Brexit Moment” by Barry Jones.

“Since the Albanese government does not have a majority in both houses of parliament, the composition and function of the Voice will require negotiation and compromise, in which Dutton and senators Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Kerrynne Liddle and Lidia Thorpe could play a constructive role.
This should have been clearly stated, and repeated, from the outset.”

…………….

““No” is a confession of failure, of the belief that if we attempted anything new, we’d muck it up. So we remain prisoners of the past, back in Plato’s cave, surrounded by pessimism and apathy.
**
“Yes” is a vote for optimism, confidence, a vote for the future, an assertion that we are capable of great things, of acting with decency, courage and generosity.

Surely the choice is simple.”

I wanted to copy and paste the whole lot of the essay, and I’ve not highlighted many many important points addressed - so do have a read! Especially anyone thinking of voting no because you don’t understand it.

I'm on the train heading into the Melbourne march. Quite a few of us here.

I'd be interested to hear how the march goes!

@MiniBossFromAus I find it distasteful and am calling you on it. It's time we all start to challenge the systemic racism that plagues this beautiful place, challenge our political landscape, challenge the narrative, challenge the children in youth detention and start to embrace the TRUE culture of this land and it's First Nations peoples

Disagree. I agree it should be challenged, but could be done in a way that may ultimately have more meaningful outcomes and is more palatable to Indigenous as a whole across all communities. There absolutely needs to be something but it looks like more consultation and work with ALL communities is required. This is not the only way. Many Indigenous do not see this as the only way. Some don’t want to ‘settle’ for this and forfeit something else that may give better outcomes. But sure, I’m racist, so much easier to go with that, and frankly don’t give two shits about your opinion.

Many Indigenous do not see this as the only way. Some don’t want to ‘settle’ for this and forfeit something else that may give better outcomes

@HoppingPavlova what is the ‘something else that will give better outcomes?’

I feel increasingly like only First Nations people should be able to vote on this.

Hello to anyone in Redfern this afternoon. Lovely weather for a march and fantastic to see such a great turnout :)

Brilliant march in Melbourne. Massive. Great atmosphere and incredibly diverse marchers.

@HoppingPavlova you're buying into a false dichotomy. Saying yes to this doesn't preclude anything better. Saying yes to this could be a bloody good start. Saying no to it, when the vast majority of indigenous people support it, is telling that group of people that their views about their own sovereignty and experience of colonisation don't matter. You might be up for that, but at least be honest about what you're really doing.

Wonderful. My son is there with his son. It’s good to hear it’s a great turnout.

@HoppingPavlova you’re not comfortable with the regional dialogues and the Uluru convention, in terms of the representation of First Peoples’ views?

The Sydney march was very encouraging - great to see representation across the political spectrum as well as diversity in the marchers. There is certainly a lot of goodwill.

CR: N Morgan

Albert Einstein once said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result”.

The first Voice that was not mandated in the Constitution
~
The NACC (National Aboriginal Consultative Committee) was established in 1973 by the Whitlam government, its principal function was to advise government on issues of concern to Indigenous peoples. Its members were elected by Indigenous people.

The next Voice that was not mandated in the Constitution
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In 1976 the Fraser government disbanded and the NACC and formed the NAC (National Aboriginal Conference) to advise government on policy. It was during the Fraser years (Liberal Country Party coalition) that a standing senate enquiry was established to explore Makarrata, 1981.

The third Voice that was not mandated in the Constitution
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Starved of resources and perceived to be of little The NAC was shutdown under Hawke in 1985. In 1990 Hawke established ATSIC to not only advise government, but to perform some functions of government in delivering community loans and funding.

The fourth Voice that was not mandated in the Constitution
~
In 2004 Howard rushed to get ahead of himself with his love of petty bureaucracy and established the MTF (Ministerial Taskforce on Indigenous Affairs), and the Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination. Not content with just two voices he also established the NIC (National Indigenous Council).

The fifth Voice that was not mandated in the Constitution
~
The Rudd government got rid of the NIC in 2008 and replaced it with NCAFP (National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples).
Rudd also got around to making the apology that had been recommended to government a decade earlier, an apology for stealing one in three Aboriginal people and allowing them to be subjected to widespread abuse.
Many of the recommendations from the infamous Bringing Them Home Report have still not been enacted despite 25 years passing.

The sixth Voice that was not mandated in the Constitution
~
Not to be outdone by his predecessors Abbott established another voice with the The Indigenous Advisory Council (IAC) in 2013.

The seventh Voice that was not mandated in the Constitution
~
Turnbull presided over the Uluṟu Statement from the Heart (still only one page) being delivered to parliament. He rejected the referendum proposal at the time but has subsequently come to wish he had stared down the far right in the LNP and pushed ahead. There is little doubt Turnbull could have got this through, but spent all his political capital in the party room with the same sex referendum. But he added another voice by creating the IPC (Indigenous Policy Committee)

The eighth Voice that was not mandated in the Constitution
~
Never one to miss out on an opportunity to do something glaringly ridiculous, Scott Morrison appointed former Prime Minister Tony Abbott as the ‘Special Envoy for Indigenous Affairs’ in 2018 and then commenced walking back on the commitment to listen to Indigenous Australians.

The Voice should be mandated in the Constitution

Rather than have me disparage people or bemoan their reasons to vote No, I urge everyone to click on the link below and take 5 minutes to read Julian Leeser, an expert on the Australian Constitution and until very recently the LNP spokesperson for Indigenous Affairs. He doesn’t have a party political axe to grind, he is not doing Murdoch’s bidding and is by far the smartest and most knowledgeable person on the LNP benches when it comes to indigenous affairs.

https://www.julianleeser.com.au/news/the-voice-a-safe-change-for-australia/

Faintly hoping that the tide might be turning after the failure of the appalling Sam Newman intervention.

Yes the Welcome to Country at the Gabba last night was a big fuck you Sam Newman moment. 👏

Peter Hartcher was just on The Insiders on the ABC saying that he thinks getting the vote across the line is a lost cause now, the NO campaign is too strong and gaining numbers....