by SEAN BURKE – SCEPTICAL voters are almost certain to force defeat on Anthony Albanese’s Voice referendum, as demand grows to roll back other race-based concessions.
World-leading referendum expert Matt Qvortrup, a visiting professor at Australian National University, said this week that the Aboriginal Voice referendum was doomed.
- When is reconciliation actually going to be achieved? What does it look like practically?
- The truth is that activists will never be happy.
- We all know bitterness and resentment are their bread and butter.
Meanwhile, calls are growing for the Indigenous Welcome to Country acknowledgement to be removed from public events. The Liberal Democrats Party and a Liberal Party Senator are among the latest to do so.
Prof Qvortrup predicted the Voice Yes vote would receive no more than 46 per cent support.
MAJORITY
To pass, a referendum requires a majority of votes in a majority of States – an almost impossible outcome without support in the high 50s.
“In countries with compulsory voting, the No vote increases,” Prof Qvortrup said.
“A lot of people who are forced to vote are sceptical,” he said. “Without bipartisan support, the referendum will fail.
“To pass a referendum you need bipartisan support. When you have that you generally get about 60 per cent of the vote,” he said. “I would predict that the voice would get 46 per cent.”
Of 44 referendums held since 1901, only eight have been successful – and they all received bipartisan support.
Although failing to secure his proposed constitutional changes, according to Prof Qvortrup, the Prime Minister would not necessarily lose his job in 2025.
The concern for Mr Albanese, however, is that the social divisions caused by his Voice campaign are focussing greater attention on other race-based bias.
Demands are now being made to ban Welcome to Country ceremonies on government property by a number of politicians and political Parties.
The Liberal Democrats Party included this in its NSW election manifesto.
“The proponents of ‘positive racism’ have good intentions but their strategy doesn’t work,” its manifesto stated.
CURSE
“Encouraging individuals to believe their destiny is determined by their ancestry is a curse.
“Acknowledgement of Country and Welcome to Country should cease on government property.”
Liberal Federal Senator Alex Antic has also raised the issue saying he was “sick and tired of being welcomed to my own country”.
Welcome to Country is now recited at a rapidly growing number of gatherings across Australia with the words: “I’d like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet. I would like to pay my respects to elders past, present and future.”
In a speech to Parliament, Senator Antic said the ceremonies had become inescapable.
“Australians are forced to sit through these rituals everywhere. From the commencement of Parliament to school assemblies,” he said.
“They are now more common than singing our national anthem.
RITUALS
“Far from being an ancient practice, these rituals began being used by progressive activists in the early 2000s.
“The practice suggests that Australians whose families who have lived here for generations – possibly since settlement – are not welcome.
“Welcome to Country is nothing more than something wealthy city people love to do to make themselves feel good.”
Senator Antic said all Australians had a right to call Australia home.
“But the activists and bureaucratic classes want division as it perpetuates the victimhood mindset which they use to manipulate people,” he said
“When is reconciliation actually going to be achieved? What does it look like practically?
“Will it be achieved when we have a treaty? When we are paying some sort of ‘rent’ tax? Or, perhaps, when there is a new Indigenous nation that will further divide Australians?”
BITTERNESS
The Senator said activists would never be happy.
“We all know bitterness and resentment are their bread and butter.
“So next time you’re asked to participate in one of these ceremonies, just remember that refusing doesn’t make you a racist.
“Here’s my memo to the grievance industry: ‘Thanks for the virtue theatre, but like most Australians I’m sick and tired of being welcomed to my own country’.” PC
One last but not serious comment, accepting the claimed to be 300-plus countries in Australia today, will they contribute equally to the defence budget for the many AUKUS defence arrangements projects now underway or in planning stages?
After all, an invader would most certainly colonise country, or all countries.
Welcome To Country was created by actor Ernie Dingo, look it up.
The ceremony caught on and expanded to other places after Labor Prime Minister Gillard lost the 2010 election and was forced into an alliance minority Labor Government to hold onto power after the Abbott led Coalition Opposition defeated Labor at that election. One of the alliance MPs was Member for Lyne NSW Rob Oakeshott, he managed to extract introduction to opening of Parliament Welcome To Country ceremony as part of negotiations to form the alliance with Labor.
President Donald Trump during his first address to the United Nations in New York mentioned the interference by UN organisations into the sovereignty of member nations and warned that this must be stopped. And much more constructive criticism. Obviously President Trump does not go along with the globalist left Marxist based political manoeuvring.
Note the reference in the Daily Telegraph article: The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – UNDRIP.
It is my understanding that “First Nations” is a North American creation to describe the people of many ethnic backgrounds who arrived in North America before European settlers, I understand that Baltic Sea Sweden and Gotland Island “Vikings” or Germanic tribes people explored North America before the Spanish reached South America.
The Australian Aboriginal activists of 1960s university student origin and supporters adopted the American Negro protest tactics, I remember the freedom ride here after the USA freedom rides. During the 1980-1990 Native Title debates and many side issues like sacred sites, women’s business sacred site blocking a bridge project in SA and other tactics treaties were demanded and even compensation payments from fellow Australians who were claimed to be living on Aboriginal lands, even public land was claimed for compensation, like rental fees. And now the Voice campaign has revealed the same objectives spoken about by now former Greens Senator Thorpe and others. No doubt the older and wiser activists are furious that the Voice “trojan horse” interior is being exposed.
Whatever, we are today citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia, a constitutional monarchy with the UK Westminster System of Government and some US System added. Our governments are elected by us. Our High Court of Australia is the highest laws authority, no more appeals to the UK Privy Council. We are not beholden to the King of Australia who is a constitutional law figurehead, as he is in the UK.
So vote NO to the Albanese Labor for Aboriginal activists Voice.
However, in the Daily Telegraph Tuesday March 7 2023 “Do the referendum the right way … or no way”
* “For 65,000 years First Nations people have lived with the lore that no country can speak for any other country. My mob can’t speak for your mob. Your mob can’t speak for my mob.”
* “There are 300-plus First Nations countries that have survived in Australia. In my culture that means 300-plus Voices need to be heard equally by the government.”
* “The best way to do this referendum is for the government to respect our rights and ask First Nations people’s consent for One Voice to speak for our countries before they ask the rest of Australia to vote.”
* Consent is an internationally agreed minimum standard of engagement in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).”
Ends
* “Three hundred-plus First Nations peoples already have voices. They need Canberra’s ears. Without free prior informed consent FIRST, this referendum is just another colonial act of assimilation. We deserve better.”
Notes:
I recommend the Daily Telegraph article be read in full, there is much more to read, it was written by Alwyn Doolan who completed the Message Stick Walk from cape York. to Canberra in 2019.
However, what this makes clear to me is that the Voice is divisive, racist, ignores modern Commonwealth of Australia and constitutional laws, blames now Colonial Government (established in New South Wales including New Zealand after 1788) period deceased people of Aboriginal ancestry and new settlers and the many migrants since Federation of States in 1901, and wants treaties with fellow Australians in our modern multicultural nation of which about 3.7 per cent at the last census (2021) registered as being Aboriginal.
That was an increase of 130,000 Australians added to the people calling themselves Aborigines who hadn’t in the census (2016) before.
A quote:
“Rowan Dean on Outsiders spelt it all out that this National Indigenous Australians Agency, funded to the tune of $2 BILLION can instantly be renamed National Indigenous Australians VOICE and hey presto there’s “the Voice”.
A huge portion of that money goes on salaries. No surprises there. Another indigenous gravy train just like the disbanded ATSIC.”
In addition;
* A Prime Minister’s Indigenous Advisory Council
* More than 30 Aboriginal Land Councils*
* More than 2,700 Aboriginal corporations
* The Council of Peaks, representing 70 top Aboriginal organisations
* Members of Parliament, Federal, State/Territory
* State/Territory Departments of Aboriginal Affairs
* Around 50 per cent of Australia is managed by Aboriginal Land Councils and Native Title legislation related country (Mabo decision) and still some being considered.
However, and with due consideration for the so many voices available to Parliament, the Commonwealth has power already to legislate more voices or The Voice following the 1967 Referendum changes to the Constitution. No new change to the Constitution required.