Anthony Albanese, the prime minister, responded to criticism of the Indigenous Voice in the legislature by claiming it was incorrect to interpret the referendum as a challenge to his authority.
Albanese strengthened his argument for a constitutional amendment by stating that voters should support the Voice not only to treat Indigenous people with respect but also to boost national pride and influence how the rest of the world views Australia.
The prime minister used an exclusive conversation with this masthead to emphasize the need to ratify the Voice in this term of parliament and stated it was his primary priority, rather than a referendum on a republic, as the “no” position was gaining weight among conservatives.
When questioned if his political standing as the main proponent of the reform would suffer if the Voice lost, Albanese responded, “It’s not about me.
Making sure that the Australian people own this is one of the things I’ve been keen to achieve.
Using work by Indigenous leaders Tom Calma and Marcia Langton on the options for change, Albanese dismissed complaints that there is no detail about how the Voice would operate. He added that the detail was not for him to decide alone.
“I believe it’ll be successful. I sincerely hope it does. Do I consider it a given? No, he replied.
The Corporate Council of Australia, the Minerals Council of Australia, and other business organisations that were devoted to advocating for the “yes” cause had the support of the general public, the prime minister argued, to support that confidence.
If Labor wins the next election, supporters of a republic have hoped that the party will pledge to hold a referendum on the republican system during the ensuing legislative session. However, Albanese has not given any guarantees regarding the timing or specifics of such a proposal.
He responded that although he was a republican and that timeframes for that shift were “not on my plan” because the Voice was the top priority that a defeat for the Voice would make a referendum on the republic impossible.
I’m only focused on one referendum—the Voice—and that’s all I’m focusing on, he declared. “I believe it is crucial that this is completed. If our constitution doesn’t recognize the immense honor of being with the longest continuously existing culture on Earth, I find it impossible to envisage having a referendum on the republic or on who would be our head of state.
My one and only proposed constitutional amendment is, in my opinion, by far the most crucial.
When asked about the draft language Albanese suggested at the Garma Festival in the Northern Territory at the end of July, Australians supported the idea of an Indigenous Voice by a margin of 64% in the Resolve Political Monitor in this masthead in September.
Since Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price of the Northern Territory, a significant Indigenous member of the Coalition party room, received support from the Nationals party room to reject the notion, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has become more critical of the Voice.
On December 8, Dutton stated, “Media outlets have decided that you’ll be on the wrong side of history if you don’t support the Voice or that you’re somehow racist if you doubt what the Voice is about.”
It’s embarrassingly childish in its approach, and, to be honest, that’s how the prime minister has behaved throughout this debate.
Conservative Liberals are against the Voice and want Dutton to campaign for the “no” case, turning the referendum into a partisan issue and making it more difficult to succeed. However, some members of the Nationals have suggested that their position could be reconsidered if new information becomes available.
When addressing this topic at Kirribilli House, Albanese pleaded on Australians to support the Voice in order to respect First Australians and elevate Australia’s self-esteem.
He also cautioned Australia from turning its back on Indigenous people by saying “no” because it would harm its relations with other nations.
The referendum on Indigenous recognition, he said, “is a tremendous opportunity to bring the country together to progress reconciliation, to treat Indigenous people with respect, but also so that Australians may feel more respect about themselves.”
There’s a third aspect to it as well, and that’s how the result of that referendum will affect how the rest of the world views us.
