The Voice debate is yet another ugly chapter in Australia's history
The Voice debate is yet another ugly chapter in Australia's history
After many months of bitter debate about the Voice, an address to the National Press Club this week reminds us that we are back at a point where it seems that, no matter what the truth may be, we will not let it lead to any change, writes Laura Tingle.
Is there a decent write up somewhere about what the voice actually is? I've heard a lot of debate about it, I'd like to read an impartial write up about it.
I mean this is what it actually is:
Chapter IX Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
129 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice
In recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia:
i. there shall be a body, to be called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice;
ii. the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice may make representations to the Parliament and the Executive Government of the Commonwealth on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples;
iii. the Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws with respect to matters relating to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, including its composition, functions, powers and procedures.”
Referendum question and constitutional amendment (voice.gov.au)
There's not really a lot to it which is why you won't see many impartial write-ups. It's just an advisory body that may make representations (give recommendations, express their position on something, i.e. not a seat in parliament). The composition and function is determined by parliament so it can be adapted for the times.
I hope they vote it down.
- The PM wasted his political capital on this shit. Fuck him.
- No race based government bodies.
- Abos
If something thats getting added to the constitution requires a bracket explanation, its a poorly worded addition.
Using “make representation” and the advisory body’s involvement in the executive government are two hard red lines. The lack of effort and thoughts in this referendum is screaming out from its text.
It will be a government body to advise the government on aboriginal laws. The government will need to listen to them but does not need to follow their advice. The problem, many Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander people say, is that there are programs and funds to help but they are often misdirected and end up wasted or they target things the communities don't need. The idea is to ensure their voice is heard when the government legislates about them.
It's pretty uncontroversial when you strip it back.
The government will need to listen to them but does not need to follow their advice
I'm almost certain I'm misunderstanding something, but this sounds like an aboriginal filibuster. If the government is 'required' to listen, and no time limit is spelled out in the amendment, could the voice be used to filibuster?
These are the design principles from the working group: https://voice.gov.au/about-voice/voice-principles
The 272-page final report from the co-design working group has all of the minute detail about how they engaged with the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) to design the Voice proposal, including recommendations on how it should operate: https://voice.gov.au/sites/default/files/resource/download/indigenous-voice-co-design-process-final-report_1.pdf
Sorry but you're not going to find a good impartial write up. Anyone who's impartial on this issue is ignorant of the facts. The issue is far too emotionally charged and important for anybody to possibly have no opinion if they understand the issue at hadn.
Here's my partial one:
- White people did some horrible shit when we settled in Australia.
- In some pockets of society those atrocities are still happening now.
- Not enough is being done about it.
Indigenous people (and any white person who's aware of the issues and has a shred of compassion) want more to be done to deal with the issue.
A joint effort by both the Liberal and Labor parties spent years asking the affected people what should be done, and considering the issue, and the number one thing those people asked for was a "Voice" or rather a dedicated group of people who's entire job is to recommend ways the government can improve things for indigenous Australians. The joint Liberal/Labor effort also produced a report recommending exactly the same thing. And that's what will happen if we vote Yes.
Indigenous Australians feel like nobody in the government listens when they talk. They want a Voice, and we should give them one.
It will cost almost nothing. There's no requirement for the government to act on the advice, the elected government of the day can make that decision on a case by case basis after seeing the recommendations. There is zero downside to voting Yes... other than acknowledging that atrocities have and are being committed which many Australians are unwilling to do.
How much it will help... well that's something we can debate. But mostly it will depend what government is in power when the recommendations are made The Voice. If Pauline Hanson is Prime Minister then, yeah, The Voice would be a waste of time. But she's not Prime Minister and touch wood she never will be. The worst possible outcome is a "Yes" vote won't achieve the sated goals, and then we'll just continue life as we are.
Voting No, on the other hand, will absolutely make things worse. That will significantly divide and anger indigenous people. There's going to be years of civil unrest and burned bridges all over the place if we vote No.
So:
- Voting Yes - costs nothing and won't do any harm and it might do some good.
- Voting No - will be a fucking disaster.
Which one of those would you prefer?
Voting Yes - costs nothing and won’t do any harm and it might do some good.
Theoretically it could actually save a lot of money long-term. That's why many conservatives also support the Voice, because it is ultimately a fiscally conservative proposal. The claim some Australians have made that the Voice is a "waste of taxpayer money during a cost of living crisis" is the complete opposite of reality. If people actually care about the economy, and aren't just using it as a smokescreen to hide their more controversial oppositions to the Voice, they should be voting Yes in this referendum to help government create more efficient and less financially wasteful Indigenous affairs policies.
The truth telling process should have come first.
Maybe it didn’t have to if we had a government ready for the fight phrases like “History Wars” and “Great Australian Silence” should have made bleedingly obvious was coming, but that’s not the government we have.
As it stands the emboldened and networked hard and far right off the back of a no vote may be a more urgent reason to vote yes than the institution at the heart of the matter. They will likely now pose a threat to the rights of far more Australians, well more than 50%.
As it stands the emboldened and networked hard and far right off the back of a no vote may be a more urgent reason to vote yes than the institution at the heart of the matter.
This is absolutely, 100%, my position.
The following is my take which is sure to be deeply unpopular but I'm not here to win friends.
I don't care about the voice. It's not part of my day to day. I don't regularly interact with a great number of first nations people. Of course I'll vote yes because it seems like a no brainer but I'm pissed that this has become such a distraction from the real actual problems that I would prefer our government address.
Australia has been on a trajectory towards the right since Keating left office in 1996. Our centre left party has had precious little opportunity to rebalance us in the last 30 years, we finally get a chance and... we squander it on this shit show.
If the outcome of the referendum is a "no" vote, Labor will have a sucking chest wound heading in to the next election.
I’m pissed that this has become such a distraction from the real actual problems that I would prefer our government address.
Has it though? It has certainly dominated the media, but that doesn't necessarily mean it has distracted from issues such as the cost of living at a government policy level. The rent and housing debate between the ALP and The Greens was arguably an even bigger story earlier this year.
First they came . . .
Yes is it hyperbole to mention that? I Don’t think so. You gotta have a real good look at who’s supporting No…
Pauline Hanson? Fatty McFuck Face? Cookers and conspiracy nuts? Literal fucking Nazies?
Maybe, just maybe if thinking about going to vote the same way as these dropkicks you should reevaluate. Have a look at the actual proposition. Despite the scare campaign its actually pretty simple.
It recognises our first people.
Parliament retains full legislative control. It’s an advisory board consisting of Indigenous Australians selected by the regions and communities to advise on legislation and matters that concern them.
It’s not an additional layer of bureaucracy. It’s a leadership body intended to short circuit the bureaucracy and get the information from the regions to the decision makers in government.
Every one voting now is making a conscious decision to take a step forward and try to heal.
Yes I see you. Yes I hear you and want to listen
Or
No I don’t see you No I don’t hear you and I don’t want to listen.
Despite the author lambasting the ignorance behind the "don't know, vote no" messaging (rightly so), there's no actual explanation of what a "vote yes" accomplishes. I would love to vote yes but I haven't been able to find any resource on what it meaningfully accomplishes.
Voting Yes accomplishes the recognition of Indigenous Australians in the constitution, which is symbolically important as they are our first Australians and their culture is an important part of our history as a nation.
Voting Yes also accomplishes the implementation of a policy advisory committee, that may or may not lead to better designed and more efficient Indigenous policy making, potentially saving taxpayers a lot of money and leading to better health/education/employment/etc outcomes for Indigenous Australians. Because the constitutional amendment we are voting on does not include specific details about the formation and targets of the advisory committee, it could theoretically be as flexible as is needed at any given time. For example, in a perfect world where all Indigenous disadvantage has been eliminated, the advisory body could instead become an important figurehead for the celebration of Indigenous culture within Australia.
Voting Yes in this referendum also ensures that there will finally be an Indigenous advisory committee that is immune to the total disbandment we have seen from previous hostile governments throughout Australia's history. This is something that has happened on multiple occasions and it's a key reason why Australia has struggled to make progress with regards to the many social issues stemming from colonisation. If you keep tearing up the plan completely every few years, it is very difficult to achieve anything long-term.
Ultimately, voting Yes guarantees important symbolic recognition. Voting No does not. That is the fundamental difference in the immediate outcome of this referendum, based on what we are voting for.
Thank you for replying so thoughtfully. This has explained it better to me than anyone else has (from both sides).
I think part of the communication problem is how wishy-washy the vote is. Without the historical context the importance of the vote gets completely missed. I've heard so many people wave their hands and say "representation", "constitution", etc., but no one is able to define anything. Your comment makes it clear to me that it's not so much about the affirmative action, but explicitly avoiding the failures of the past.
Side note: it's crazy to think we don't even have a constitutional freedom of speech
what do you want to know? it hasn't happened yet so we don't know what the precise outcome will be.
constitutionally what is accomplishes is enshrining in the constitution a body called the voice which has the right to address Parliament on matters relating to aboriginal and Torres straight islander people.
what this stops governments doing is disbanding advisory councils etc which they have done repeatedly.
The statement from the heart (https://ulurustatement.org/the-statement/view-the-statement/) specifically requests it. you can read about what they hope it to accomplish here: https://ulurustatement.org/the-voice/what-is-the-voice/
What have you googled and found unsatisfactory?
we don’t know what the precise outcome will be.
Partially true but, as I have said in my reply to this comment, the proposed constitutional amendment contains this line
In recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia
which is clear symbolic recognition of the importance of Indigenous peoples and their culture to the history of Australia. Regardless of what the advisory body looks like or achieves, constitutional recognition would be a clear positive outcome in the result of a Yes vote. It is important to many Indigenous Australians, but it should also be seen as important to all Australians as we continue to mature as a nation and move forward from our bloody colonial past.
Hey, just a little nudge, if you’re keen to chat about the Voice to Parliament, we’ve got this corker of a megathread where we can all have a good chinwag in one spot. But if you’re not up for that, no worries, it’s business as usual. Gotta keep things fair dinkum!
This is the best summary I could come up with:
But a plaudit for David Marr's new book, Killing for Country, which documents his family's history as professional killers of Aborigines in NSW and Queensland in the mid-1800s, is that it is one you have to keep putting down.
The immediate horror of the story clashes horrendously with our image of ourselves, and with the lofty ambitions of those who oversaw federation, and the writing of our Constitution, as the former chief justice of the High Court, Robert French, observed in a speech to the National Press Club this week.
He quoted the then premier of Queensland, Samuel Griffith, observing that "there is no doubt that here, as everywhere, there will be timid men who are afraid of launching into something new; but when was ever a great thing achieved without risking something".
The willingness of some sections of the media to perpetuate misinformation, and of other sections of the media to get lost in attempts at false balance, has made nigh on impossible a reasonably rational debate about what a permanent advisory body to the parliament and executive, whose actual remit would be defined and controlled by the parliament, might mean both symbolically and practically to Indigenous Australians.
No campaigners regularly now rage about some mysterious bureaucracy which allegedly worthlessly chews up billions of dollars in wasted funding to Indigenous people.
The inaugural, government-appointed chair of the council — which sounds like it had a job pretty much identical to that proposed for the Voice — was another prominent No campaigner, Warren Mundine.
The original article contains 1,159 words, the summary contains 254 words. Saved 78%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
The immediate horror of the story clashes horrendously with our image of ourselves, and with the lofty ambitions of those who oversaw federation, and the writing of our Constitution, as the former chief justice of the High Court, Robert French, observed in a speech to the National Press Club this week.
Jfc has the man read nothing whatsoever on Australian history?
It clashes with the white armband view of history pushed by Howard and the like. I think he is speaking for the audience a bit not so much just himself.
Once they had to acknowledge that terra nullis was fiction ( and didn’t they fight against that - they are coming for your backyard - sound familiar?) it then transitioned to: A bit of push me shove you in the frontier, shit happens then they all died of diseases.
It’s uncomfortable to acknowledge than women and children were murdered while they were in their camps. You know, it’s not sporting or chipper. Tally Ho at least they have running water now you know?
The Voice is a small step in the right direction everyone voting has the chance to be on the forward looking positive path or just saying it’s all to hard let’s keep doing what’s failed in the past.