The writer is in Australia.
Australia is facing a referendum on Saturday to enshrine an ‘Indigenous Voice’ in the constitution, with the right to advise and influence the government. Here, a TCW writer explains why he will vote against the Voice.
AUSTRALIANS are being asked to approve a permanent change to our constitution. This change is racist in intent and divisive in effect.
No humans evolved here in Australia – our ancestors all came from somewhere else. The literal meaning of ‘indigenous’ is ‘born here’, so most of us are indigenous. To try to divide indigenous Australians on the basis of skin colour or length of ancestry is more about politics than justice or good government. We are all Australians and we should never contemplate constitutional changes that promote and solidify racial division.
I am voting ‘No’ because this proposal is going in the wrong direction and is serving other agendas.
There are many reasons to vote No:
1. The Australian pioneers all came from somewhere else. And rock art in the Kimberleys and other relics tell us that the current aboriginals were not the first humans to occupy this land.
2. Despite having ‘native title’ to far more land per head of population than all other Australians, tribal Aboriginals often live in degraded communal enclaves with poor community protection especially for women and children. They need individual freehold titles, not communal title.
3. We need to question closely anything promoted so strongly by ABC Indigenous, the Qantas airline, big banks, big business, big miners, the bureaucracy, the ALP/Green/Teal coalition and the Communist Party.
4. Political power should not be granted to one race – Australia is home to Aboriginals, Islanders, English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Dutch, Italian, German, Scandinavians, Melanesians, Greek, Kiwis,
Afghans and Africans, plus other Europeans, Asians, and Africans. Most have made permanent homes here. All who embrace Australian citizenship should be treated equally before the law.
5. This Voice proposal would make a permanent racial division in
Australia. But how will the favoured race be continually identified? Will the chosen people or the more recent ‘invaders’ need to be tattooed? Or will DNA evidence be needed to prove racial identity?
6. People identifying as Aboriginals already have more representation in Parliament than their numbers would justify. They already have several voices.
7. Huge government departments and billions of dollars are already
representing aboriginal interests, but their conditions do not improve.
8. We have noted how some Australians are already being banned from certain tourist spots, private landowners feel threatened by the relentless advance of ‘Native Title’, and explorers find Sacred Sites and Rainbow Serpents appearing on promising mineral discoveries and along infrastructure sites and routes.
9. We are continually annoyed to be ‘welcomed’ to every big event by Aboriginals. Most of these ceremonies are modern inventions. We do not need to be welcomed to our own country.
10. We note with annoyance that place names are being changed suddenly and without warning or consultation. Imagine what is in store for names such as Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Cooktown. Or King George Square. And what about the nation of ‘Australia’ that was created in 1901? Already the red-and-black flag is being flown next to the Australian Flag. Next, the statues will start to fall.
11. There never was ‘an aboriginal nation’ – just many tribes each subject to unwritten tribal law. Will the Voice be called to adjudicate tribal disputes?
12. We are already seeing reports that inconvenient history or anthropological records are disappearing from public libraries. Will the Voice decide what we are allowed to read?
13. The Voice would soon be clamouring for treaties, reparations and seizure of more lands. However, Aboriginals would not get individual
freehold titles – just communal ownership where some elders control everything. Property owned by everyone is cared for by no one.
14. The most recent aboriginal migrants brought their dogs (dingos) to Australia. They are now protected in many areas. But our horses, donkeys, sheep, cattle, camels and buffalo are ‘ferals’ to be eliminated.
15. Giving a special ‘Voice’ to people of a certain skin colour or genetic history will just promote everlasting division and hatred. It aims to separate and give special privileges to certain people and their descendants for ever.
We must VOTE NO.
