From the news: on the Voice and First Peoples matters

The following media articles have caught my attention of late regarding the Voice referendum and First Peoples matters - including the record voting enrolments: 

Firstly, on the reality of the First Peoples experience of colonialism, including current abuses: 

• “ ‘Government all over us like a rash’: the broken service delivery system in remote Aboriginal communities”   https://theconversation.com/government-all-over-us-like-a-rash-the-broken-service-delivery-system-in-remote-aboriginal-communities-212858   
• “Colonists upended Aboriginal farming, growing grain and running sheep on rich yamfields, and cattle on arid grainlands”   https://theconversation.com/colonists-upended-aboriginal-farming-growing-grain-and-running-sheep-on-rich-yamfields-and-cattle-on-arid-grainlands-207118  
  “Grazing animals trod on or ate the staple tubers such as murnong, on which local groups relied. These grew in rich beds, but were easily trampled. As colonists moved inland, they took Aboriginal land used for growing grain and ran sheep or cattle on it. The effects of this upheaval are still with us today.”
  
• “Community heartbroken after sacred sandhills damaged”   https://nit.com.au/18-09-2023/7731/community-heartbroken-after-sacred-sandhills-damaged  
  

Next, some recent erroneous claims about First Peoples’ experiences have needed correction. See: 

• “Central Land Council holds Senators Price and Liddle to account”   https://www.clc.org.au/central-land-council-holds-senators-price-and-liddle-to-account/   
• “The sad truth”   https://theaimn.com/the-sad-truth/   
• “Racism and democracy: why claims of ‘division by race’ in the NZ election and Voice referendum need challenging”   https://theconversation.com/racism-and-democracy-why-claims-of-division-by-race-in-the-nz-election-and-voice-referendum-need-challenging-213651  
  Inclusion matters - and “participatory parity” is vital to a fair, equitable, and functioning democracy.
  

The conduct of the “no” campaign and its supporters remains of concern: 

• “Anti-Voice rallies organised by pro-Putin conspiracy theorist”   https://www.smh.com.au/national/anti-voice-rallies-organised-by-pro-putin-conspiracy-theorist-20230919-p5e5zc.html  - who is wanted under an arrest warrant (note: innocent until proven guilty applies when charges are laid) for an alleged violent arrest   https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/politics/2023/09/22/boikov-rally/  
  
• “Coalition dodges questions on Treaty and January 26”   https://nit.com.au/18-09-2023/7730/coalition-dodges-questions-on-treaty-and-january-26  
  This suggests to me that they do not support a Treaty, and want Invasion Day to remain a divisive date.
  

I'll end with a couple of articles on the benefits of a successful referendum: 

• “I’m an Uluru youth ambassador because I don’t want to tell my grandchildren how close we got to real” change   https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/18/uluru-dialogue-statement-from-the-heart-youth-ambassador-indigenous-voice-to-parliament-referendum-australia    

• “A yes vote for the voice would mean Australians could meet each other’s eyes and not flinch”   https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/20/indigenous-voice-to-parliament-referendum-yes-campaign-voters  
  

PS - after publishing this, I came across more articles to include - and I should point out that I may edit these types of articles for up to a week: 

• “Voice pamphlets: false claims and conspiracy theories distributed across Australia”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/sep/21/indigenous-voice-to-parliament-referendum-fake-pamphlets  
  “One unauthorised pamphlet contains a link to a website containing white supremacist material”      
• “The astonishing lies of the no campaign burn like lurid rockets in our sky. We must not go saying no”   https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/21/the-astonishing-lies-of-the-no-campaign-burn-like-lurid-rockets-in-our-sky-we-must-not-go-saying-no    
• “Celebrity backing for Voice – and a surprise change of heart”   https://thenewdaily.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/2023/09/22/mc-hammer-indigenous-voice/  
  
• “Linda Burney calls for Gary Johns to be sacked from no campaign after fresh barrage of offensive comments unearthed”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/sep/22/indigenous-voice-to-parliament-referendum-gary-johns-power   
• “AEC says staff threatened online amid ‘bonkers’ criticism over voice referendum ticks and crosses”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/sep/21/aec-says-staff-threatened-online-amid-bonkers-criticism-over-voice-referendum-ticks-and-crosses   
  
• A The Guardian exclusive reports:   “‘I’ll give Mundine a call’: Lidia Thorpe open to working with no campaign leader on treaties”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/sep/22/ill-give-mundine-a-call-lidia-thorpe-open-to-working-with-no-campaign-leader-on-treaties  
  “Exclusive: Blak Sovereign Movement leader agrees with Warren Mundine’s claim that Indigenous treaties are more likely if referendum fails”   (I disagree - I consider it will be harder)    
• “We have failed the First Nations people”   https://theaimn.com/we-have-failed-the-first-nations-people/   
• “Will the voice improve the lives of Indigenous people? Surely it has a good chance”   https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/21/indigenous-voice-to-parliament-referendum-improve-lives   
• “Health organisations across the country pledge their support for the Voice to Parliament”   https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-24/health-organisations-statement-of-support-voice-to-parliament/102894950   
• “Assimilation re-emerges” - Pearls and Irritations   https://johnmenadue.com/assimilation-re-emerges/   
• ““Ill-informed and insulting”: Victoria's peak Indigenous health body criticises Jacinta Price's comments on colonialism”   https://nit.com.au/25-09-2023/7798/ill-informed-and-insulting-victorias-peak-indigenous-health-body-criticises-jacinta-prices-comments-on-colonialism  
  

 

Assumptions / basis 

In writing this, I have assumed / started from the following: 

• this blog states quite clearly that it is about political and human rights matters, including lived experience of problems, and thus I will assume readers are reasonable people who have noted the content warning in the post header;

Possible flaws 

Where I can, I will try to highlight possible flaws / issues you should consider:

• there may be flawed logical arguments in the above: to find out more about such flaws and thinking generally, I recommend Brendan  Myers’ free online course “Clear and Present Thinking”; 
  
• I could be wrong - so keep your thinking caps on, and make up your own minds for yourself.
  

 

If they are of any use of interest, the activism information links from my former news posts are available in this post. 

 

If you appreciated this post, please consider promoting it - there are some links below.

Vote Yes for the Voice in Australia.  

Finally, remember: we need to be more human being rather than human doing.