[Un]reasonably outraged by fear, ignorance and lack of compassion
In Australia, we will be heading to polling booths on 14th October to vote in a referendum known as The Voice to Parliament. Put simply, it is a suggested change to the constitution of our country which recognises our indigenous population. The question we are asked to answer yes or no to is this:
A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this proposed alteration?
If I’m honest, I’ve questioned why the hell this is even a thing. I mean how horrendously appalling and embarrassing that this is not already part of the constitution. It’s 2023 and we are asking the permission of the predominantly white population of Australia if it’s OK if our First Nations People can please, pretty please, have a committee that advises government on anything that affects—you guessed it—First Nations People.
Comedian Anna Piper Scott said it better than I can. Sadly, an email won’t do the trick.
It’s ludicrous to me that this must be put to a vote, however if we are altering the country’s constitution then, by law, it must be via a referendum.
The ‘No’ campaigners would have us believe all sorts of ridiculous things if we vote yes. Misinformation and fear are two ingredients that should not go together. They are like a toxic cocktail soaking poison into people who are already confused and concerned.
The Guardian's Indigenous affairs editor Lorena Allam tried to address these in a recent article:
The voice will not overrule parliament. It cannot.
It will not give advice on link roads, defence spending or tax policy. It will not abolish Anzac Day.
It will not cause you to lose your back yard or take away your home. It will not force Australia to pay reparations. It is not a communist plot. It will not result in Aboriginal people getting free home loans or cars or university degrees.
It’s no secret that I lean more towards the left of politics. I’m not a huge political activist, but I do take my voting responsibility seriously. Like most of us, I vote for political parties whose values align with mine. Social justice, health, education as well as the welfare of our nation and environment are much more important to me than tax breaks and investment properties (and yes, I do recognise that these values can co-exist).
I don’t claim to understand many of the intricacies of politics but if I don’t know something, I try to find out. And there has been a plethora of great stuff explaining The Voice to Parliament in easily digestible ways.
Wil Stracke answers some FAQs here
Aaron Fa’Aoso speaks passionately on how it can change the lives of his people
This explains the hows and whys of a referendum
The Voice and human rights is discussed here
As a country, I feel we have a lot of growing up to do and I worry about how we are viewed on a world stage. However, what upsets me most is how long and how hard Indigenous Australians have had to fight simply to be heard, to be recognised, to be acknowledged as part of our nation. A nation that was theirs in the first place. They are exhausted.
I wonder if the information around this referendum is too overwhelming and that is why the ‘No’ campaign has (recklessly) encouraged us to vote no because we don’t know. But we are not ignorant. Maybe if we reduce it to a smaller scale, where we can connect our feelings to a moment in time when we too were neglected, maybe that will give space for compassion to bloom.
If you are frightened about what voting yes will mean for you personally, perhaps have a think about a time in your life when you felt dismissed, when your own voice wasn’t heard. Maybe it was a family decision you weren’t consulted on, a work project that directly affected you but you were overlooked, a health matter that a professional minimised, a concern you had for someone you love that was completely ignored. Remember how it feels to fight to be heard, how exhausting and disheartening it can be.
I will be voting yes because it’s the right thing to do.
KOx
