Tuesday, 17 October 2023

Voice to Parliament

Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (21:48): (504) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Treaty and First Peoples and concerns the rejection of the Voice referendum on constitutional change. I was not surprised by the result but was impressed by how comprehensive the no victory proved. Even Labor-dominated Victoria voted no, and across all six of the federal electorates in Western Victoria Region – four Labor, two coalition – the result was the same. As of this afternoon the tally in Mallee is a remarkable 79 per cent for no, in Wannon, 69 per cent, and in Hawke, 65 per cent. It is not just a rural rejection: 59 per cent said no in Ballarat; 52 per cent in Corangamite. Corio, the most urban and economically challenged electorate, voted even more strongly no, at 55 per cent. With 60 per cent of the national vote and majorities in every state, even the most ardent yes advocate cannot believe that a few minor tweaks in the proposal or campaign would have changed anything.

The fact that only the ACT and wealthy inner-urban electorates voted yes is telling. It is remarkable that the Northern Territory clearly voted no too. It shows that last weekend, electorally the deepest divide was not between Indigenous and non-Indigenous but between the inner-city elites of the eastern states and the rest of the country. Victorians voted no for many different reasons, some with enthusiasm, others with reluctance. Many were infuriated by the binary choice forced upon them so unnecessarily by Prime Minister Albanese.

There is in fact more common ground than the apparently opposite positions of the yes and no votes might suggest. For many, including me, the no vote was not a vote for the status quo. I am delighted that the waste, inefficiency and self-interest of the Indigenous industry has now been exposed. We need a national review of expenditure on programs to assist Indigenous disadvantage, to ensure taxpayers money is no longer wasted and instead delivers results for those needing it.

I believe there are lessons for Victoria too. The yes campaign took people for granted, relying on optimistic early polling, with nothing to offer but emotional blackmail and personal smears when the sentiment changed. The architects of treaty in Victoria must take note – they cannot blindly progress without properly making the case and taking Victorians with them. The reaction in rural areas to recent recognition and settlement agreements demonstrates this. It may even have contributed to the enormous no votes in Mallee and Wannon. So, Minister, I seek your commitment to acknowledge that democracy demands assent from the majority and to explain exactly how you will win and prove a democratic mandate for treaty for the people of Victoria.