By Callen Sorensen Karklis
In the aftermath of the 2023 Referendum where 60% of Australians voted a resounding No to a First Nations voice advisory committee to Parliament, we must now look at a way forward for First Nations people and non-indigenous peoples alike, particularly by closing the gap in life expectancy and living standards.
It’s clear that while 40% of us voted for the Voice we must accept the referendum’s fate much the same that most pro referendum activist in all of federation. Of all referendum’s only 8 out of 45 since 1901 have passed. It is obvious that misinformation campaigns are becoming the norm in today’s day and age given the 2016 US Presidential election and Brexit referendum. Democracy is going through a crisis point in the backdrop of less people in support of government institutions as well as free speech and the media.
In the thick of this revelation, we must challenge the reality that populist politics resurging its ugly head among the backdrop of totalitarian regimes disrupting the legitimacy liberal post war order. We cannot allow the populist who wish to see the mistakes of the past resurge as a way forward.
Considering that Australia was one of the only developed western nations in the world to not have a treaty with its First Nations peoples, every state and territory government are looking to implement a treaty. But considering the political cowardice of the LNP and its leaders on both the issue of the Voice and now backing out of the Pathway to Treaty in Qld off the back of the Voice vote being almost 80% No in QLD.
We are heading into what was 32 years of reconciliation in the form of native title, apologies and closing gap reports from 1991 – 2023 into a period of Australia potentially walking away from reconciliation with its First Nations peoples. This period may just as well be what the 1980s was to the LGBTIQ community during the onslaught of AIDs crisis amongst the backdrop of high discrimination. Every minority group knows how hard it is to not only fight for your rights but also to maintain them especially so now in the post-truth period of madmen. These madmen especially don’t want diversity or equality for all because they want to create the illusion of helping those going through economic and social hardship and weaponizing differences to gain and maintain power. This was the Big Lie strategy that Joseph Goebbels in Nazi Germany used for the Third Reich for Hitler.
Treaty and Affirmative Action
Considering the setback on Treaty in Queensland it’s clear that we must explore the alternatives to the Voice and find a way forward. If Treaty is to fail in Qld in 2024 if the QLD LNP wins the next state election and David Crisafulli is to become the next QLD Premier. Both the QLD Labor Party and QLD Greens should do the morally right and honourable thing and support a Treaty regardless. If the LNP want to play the bloodhounds of racist dog whistles, then let history be the judge of their actions and behaviour of gaslighting and opening up pandoras box.
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“My message to the QLD Labor Palaszczuk Government hold firm and go away with Treaty even without the support of the LNP Opposition!”
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I’m not going to lie but healing the wounds of October 2023 is going to take considerable time and strategizing and a consolidated effort of resources to heal the divide the damage the aftermath of the Voice Referendum has done for First Nations peoples. They say time heals all wounds but for First Nations peoples it has taken 235 years of policy failures just to reveal how deep these wounds go.
Another way forward would be the introduction of more affirmative action policies and avenues for First Nations peoples to enter the fray of all political parties. It is evident that all parties have a long way to go to make this happen considering the large number of reasons why the gap is still considerable. Giving more First Nations peoples government roles with actual weight is another. Until we see a First Nations Premier and Prime Minister or senior minister in either state and federal parliament making decisions for both First Nations and non–Indigenous Australians and more of it the more likely will it be that a bridge in mistrust may cease. But that said, the political parties of either side be it left, right, or centre must come together to introduce AA or else reconciliation will become the same quagmire as the troubles in Northern Ireland or Palestine. This may be a pessimistic outlook but more importantly it’s the truth. As Liberal Senator Neville Bonner once said, “I am a token to no person”. But more importantly all parties must accept this advice; they must move away from tokenism to sweeping problems under a rug without solving issues. They must make deliverable outcomes with real solutions. Will we see a First Nation’s Prime Minister or state Premier? Who knows Will Australia change the date of its national holiday on the 26th? Only by working together we can write our story.
Why the Voice Failed
Despite the good intentions behind the Voice campaign, it failed for several reasons but most importantly – even as somebody who was in support of the Voice – it was a badly run campaign. The detail wasn’t explained as well as it should have been. But the advertising for it just wasn’t appealing to voters who understood the potential importance this move could signify for First Nations peoples and bridging a divide to write their own destiny alongside everyday Australians. But people don’t like being confronted with issues or problems. People don’t like taking responsibility for their ancestors settling a land that wasn’t originally their own.
Reasons it failed:
- Infighting among mob; Senator Lidia Thorpe (formerly of the Greens) and the black sovereign movement had their reasons for going against the referendum as they didn’t want to accept any part in the constitution whatsoever. Then you had Senator Jacinta Price (LNP) (former Deputy Mayor of Alice Springs) going against the referendum with the likes of Peter Dutton (Opposition Leader) just to be counterproductive to win support from spreading fear.
- Racism and Fear: discrimination and bigotry reared its ugly head when LNP MPs and Local Council Mayors spread fear by accusing the YES campaign of making the Voice a landgrab for native title claims falsely on parks, cemeteries, backyards, ovals, sports clubs, and public spaces of any description. It was this fear that that spread like wildfire into every home and to every corner. As FDR once said, “Fear of fear itself”. Weaponizing fear was what led to the worst atrocities in human history.
- It’s the Economy, Stupid! It was unwise for Albo to go ahead with the referendum during an international and domestic economic crisis. Especially as most working-class people going through hardship with ever increasing rate rises from the RBA, during a rental crisis, housing crisis due to shortages, and overdevelopment, many of these people aren’t interested in social issues when their struggling to put food on the table, paying rent, or paying off a mortgage.
- Lack of education: Perhaps a long education campaign better educating the gaps in living standards between non-Indigenous and Indigenous Australians could have been beneficial to the YES campaign. Without this non-Indigenous people didn’t have enough to go on without a google search but most people on campaigns need reminding no matter the campaign.
- Misinformation: The big reason any election campaign either fails or succeeds these days is by misinforming the public or lack to combat it via social media platforms, and media spin via television or radio by use of propaganda. It’s clear that the AEC is unable at present to combat misinformation during elections. This is why legislation is needed to ensure social media and any other campaign material that is untrue is put under the scope to avoid people being misled thinking it as truth when it is otherwise.
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Callen is a Quandamooka Nunukul Aboriginal person from North Stradbroke Island. He has been the Secretary of the Qld Fabians in 2018, and the Assistant Secretary 2018 – 2019, 2016, and was more recently the Policy and Publications Officer 2020 – 2021. Callen previously was in Labor branch executives in the Oodgeroo (Cleveland areas), SEC and the Bowman FEC. He has also worked for Cr Peter Cumming, worked in market research, trade unions, media advertising, and worked in retail. He also ran for Redland City Council in 2020 on protecting the Toondah Ramsar wetlands. Callen is active in Redlands 2030, the Redlands Museum, and his local sports club at Victoria Pt Sharks Club. Callen also has a Diploma of Business and attained his tertiary education from Griffith University. He was a co-host from time to time on Workers Power 4ZZZ (FM 102.1) on Tuesday morning’s program Workers Power. He has also worked in government.
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