Lidia Thorpe warns Australians to not be ’emotionally blackmailed’ by the Voice campaign – as the Indigenous Senator slams both the Yes and No pamphlets calling them a ‘waste of resources’
Lidia Thorpe warns Australians not to be ’emotionally blackmailed’ by the Voice campaign – as the native senator slams both the yes and no pamphlets, calling them a ‘waste of resources’
- Lidia Thorpe slammed the vote as a ‘waste’
- She urged voters not to be “emotionally blackmailed.”
Lidia Thorpe says Australians should not be ’emotionally blackmailed’ into supporting the Voice to Parliament.
Representing the Blak Sovereign Movement (BSM), Senator Thorpe slammed the official pamphlets for the yes and no campaigns released this week for the upcoming referendum.
Despite urging Australians to vote No, BSM was excluded from the No camp document.
The BSM released its document on Thursday.
Lidia Thorpe (above) urged voters not to give in to ’emotional blackmail’ when voting on the Voice
Ms Thorpe called the vote ‘a waste of resources’ and ‘a waste of time’ as she represented the Blak Sovereign Movement on Thursday
“The Voice debate is not only a waste of resources, it is a waste of your time and energy,” the document reads.
“Something that pretends to be a big change, but doesn’t deliver, is not a step in the right direction.
“If something isn’t real, it’s no better than nothing. The Voice is nothing but cheap window dressing to constitutional recognition.’
BSMs said “many well-meaning people” have been “forced” to support it or are afraid to vote no “because of the racism of the Conservative No campaign.”
The official Yes pamphlet, with messages of support from Indigenous sports legends Johnathan Thurston, Eddie Betts and Evonne Goolagong Cawley, says voting for Yes will ensure a brighter future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and make a positive difference.
They claim The Voice will be a committee of First Nations people who will advise parliament on issues affecting their communities.
Elected by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in their area, representatives will come from every state and territory and serve for a set period of time.
Ms Thorpe accused the Yes campaign of pushing ‘something that pretends to be a big change but delivers none’
Ms Thorpe (above) claimed voters have been ‘forced’ to support the Yes campaign ‘because of the racism of the Conservative No campaign’
The No campaign has argued that The Voice is legally risky, focusing on the unknown territories and urging wavering voters to ‘vote no if you don’t know’.
“Establishing a voice in the constitution for just one group of Australians means a permanent division of our country,” the material states.
BSM has urged Australians to turn away from the ‘waste of resources’ vote that acquits the government ‘of its ongoing crimes’, instead advocating for truth-telling and Indigenous sovereignty.
Don’t let the Yes campaign bully you and don’t let the racists intimidate you. Don’t be emotionally blackmailed. There are many good reasons to say no.