Remember that feeling inside when the Matilda’s inspired the nation? Many of us didn’t even know the rules, everyone did by the end of it though. Excited conversations were had about whether we should call it soccer or football, as we recalled the nail-biting moments of that penalty shootout. Didn’t it feel good to feel connected to everyone? To enjoy goodwill so strong that you could hear the electricity crackling in the air. To feel pride so fierce that it gave you goosebumps and brought tears to your eyes all at once. It was addictive, and satisfied a yearning you didn’t realise you had.
This is what feeling united as a country feels like.
Our commonalities
Australians have more in common with Indigenous Australians, than we do differences. When we are being welcomed to country, we are being welcomed by a culture that welcomes us and respects country all at the same time. This isn’t far away from how many of us welcome people into our homes. ‘Make yourself at home’, or ‘my house is your house’, we say with affection. We hug and kiss each other on the cheeks and thank our guests for bringing a bottle of wine, or cake for us to enjoy together.
Time for change
It’s been fifty-six-years since the 1967 constitutional referendum gave the federal parliament power to decide upon Indigenous affairs. It was also when Aboriginal people were counted as part of the Australian population for the first time.
Twelve-years of consultation between over two-hundred-and-fifty Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leaders and Elders, has led us to the Voice referendum. Politicians from governments on both sides have also been involved.
The constitution is a rule book from which laws can be made
Unless you’re a member of a local club or are a company board member, most of us have never voted to amend a constitution before. For clubs they usually relate to things like increasing expenditure to fix the facilities of the club toilets. For companies, it could be a constitutional amendment regarding shares.
This isn’t about one group of people having more rights than others
This Saturday’s constitutional vote is not about giving Indigenous people more rights than everyone else. Did you know that we are the only liberal democracy in the world without a Human Rights Act, or a Constitutional Charter of Rights? The author believes that we should be striving to include this into our constitution too.
This Saturday is about giving Indigenous people a seat at the table when it comes to the federal government making decisions about their affairs. Voting, Yes, will give them a way to provide advice directly to elected members of parliament; the ones that we vote for to do this type of work. The reason that the Voice needs to be formalised as part of the constitution via referendum, is to ensure that future governments can’t undo all of the hard work that has gone into getting to this point.
Final thoughts
As was explained to me by a voter that changed their mind about voting, No: “Who am I to stand in the way of a chance for Aboriginals to make their lives better?”
Indeed, how can we deny an opportunity that does not affect the vast majority of our lives in the slightest? Voting No will ensure more of the same, which clearly has not worked. Voting Yes will finally allow Indigenous Australians some control over their destinies.
Channel the warm glow in your heart that you felt for the Matildas, and vote Yes.
This article was originally published on MelMac Politics – Shining a light on politics.
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”The problem is that no-one has explained the Voice to Boofhead Duddo in a way he can understand.
Quite simply, the Voice is a dedicated body that exists to help shape government policy.
Like Newscorpse, but for Indigenous Australians”. Thanks to The Shovel 101023
Cocky, Boofhead Duddo is incapable of understanding; it’s a fool’s mission to imagine otherwise. Reactive, mechanical, polarised, negative… sums him up.
Good analogy, Australia is among better cohorts of football globally, men and especially women, who are known and appreciated offshore, but locally (apart from top level matches) still much feigned antipathy and/or strong disinterest from the pre-eminent culture or codes i.e. AFL and NRL; not sure if either, or their media, have done anything about The Voice etc. even though many indigenous players and related participation?
AFL has seemed to track and promote all of Howard’s Australian cliches of ANZACS, machismo, heroes, nostalgia etc. but unable to say anything about or for ‘The Voice’ as that would be political, yet gay marriage was not deemed political (even though only about one acknowledged male gay player in any level of AFL?)
Spudley Dutton is about to have the only win he has ever had in his dismal career in public life ; ironically it will be an own goal.
Another nut drops from the Loony Tree:
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/12/voice-no-campaigner-claims-uluru-statement-supporters-want-their-own-military
Someone on Twitter (X) tells me he’s voting No because he can’t find any info – even on Google – on what the Voice actually is. My guess is he’s asking the wrong questions (such as looking for excuses to vote No).
Anyway, here’s a simple answer for him:
Has anyone else noticed the pattern?
People voting Yes have reasons.
People voting No have excuses.
The bloke (Dutton) who earlier this year claimed that solar panels “don’t work at night-time” expects us to believe him about the so-called dangers if the Voice gets up.
The Reichspud has opened his vile mouth and yapped:
https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/deport-them-peter-dutton-lashes-palestinian-protesters/news-story/78e4bcecd2d3029416808183990b6fe5
Yes. Must vote. Yes.
I’ve already cast my YES, Wednesday last week – casting away various who sought to assail me with yabber-yabber on the way in – smiled at the non-pushy YESers, and as the NOers desperately ran at me clutching pamphleted discombobulations, I reminded them I didn’t wish to soil my intellect, or cripple my heart.
So glad there’ll be a ‘media blackout’ from this evening ….. ha ha ha haaar, that’ll be the day!
The regular polling booth being 100m from my front door, Saturday, I’ll be sniffing the air to see if there’s a ‘sizzle’ on the go. If so, I might don a mask, dark sunglasses and a hoodie and wander down to snatch a sausage.
Depending on the outcome, I have prearranged with the local wombats to run an extension cord to their hideaways to join them for a week or so, to avoid post-fact media sifting of the entrails. I already know the outcome the wombats are rooting for – they don’t like spuds!
I see Thorpe has changed her…er…um, mind again.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-12/lidia-thorpe-backs-indigenous-voice-outside-referendum/102966682
I read some of Thorpe’s statements and she seems consistent, “ Senator Thorpe added the Voice to Parliament was worth considering, saying she would support legislation if it was not tied to the constitution.” That matches the material on the Blak Sovereign Movement website. Pity is the ABC sees fit to play clever words games with ‘law’ and ‘legislation’ in their article to either misinform, or disinform the debate.
Albo was better this morning pointing out how good it would be if Aboriginal people had INPUT to laws specifically for them.
The ABC then got an Aboriginal voting no because he wants power and the voice has none.
NB dutton says no because of the voice having power and price says no because the voice has no power.
If the former is right the latter should vote yes and vice versa?
The no idiots replies were what are you on, change your supplier to what the fuck does that mean?
Get that to your no friends a no supports the radical Aborigines seach for power.
Aboriginal voting power in a DD could get 2 senators in 3 states and one in the other two mainland states.
RonaldM
Thorpe is nothing if not consistently inconsistent !
Riotous. Thorpe leading with the lip, foghorn-like. Even louder than our Thorpey of old, à la Aztecs.
Unlike the Thorpey of old, she is not a composer, or for that matter a decomposer.
She, Lidia, has no choice, because she must regularly test reason to see if her brain is still working.
I see Dastardly Spudley is at his rabid foaming at the mouth best today.
Clakka, I.m afraid she failed that test some time ago.Maybe she needs some AI advice.