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.
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:
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:
Which one of those would you prefer?
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.