Peter Dutton’s dig after John Farnham backs Indigenous Voice to Parliament: Yes camp to use song You’re the Voice

Peter Dutton has taken a savage swipe at the Yes campaign after they claimed an iconic John Farnham anthem for The Voice.

Farnham has given his blessing to the campaign to establish an Indigenous voice in parliament for his Australian classic ‘You are The Voice’ and is already scoring an advertisement in which Cathy Freeman wins gold at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

However, Mr Dutton dryly noted during a Sunday morning interview with Sky News that the lyrics could backfire.

The opposition leader, who opposes Labour’s version of a constitutionally enshrined vote, said the full chorus of Farnham’s song: “You are the voice, try to understand it” was very appropriate for a measure many believe lacks detail.

“In a way, this is the appropriate theme song for the Yes campaign, because remember the key phrase in the lyrics is ‘you are the voice, try to understand it’,” he said.

‘I honestly don’t think most Australians understand. And they want to be informed.’

Mr Dutton accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of being ‘troublesome and cunning’ in withholding information until after the October 14 referendum, which will decide whether the Voice is constitutionally established.

“The problem is not that entertainers and people from the upper echelons of the city support or support The Voice, but that the Prime Minister does not want to support the public in their decision-making,” Dutton argued.

“He is deliberately withholding information and withholding that information until after the election. He’s been very clear about giving you the details after the vote has taken place, which is pretty remarkable.

However, Mr Dutton said if the referendum on October 14 fails to approve the Vote, he will hold a referendum for constitutionally recognized Indigenous Australians without establishing a body.

“We went to the last election, and some elections before that, with that as our policy and that will be our policy in the next election,” he told Sky News.

“I think it is right and respectful to recognize Indigenous Australians in the Constitution, we will work with the Labor Party to find common ground.

“I strongly believe that this is the right thing to do,” he said.

He said the Labor proposed Voice, which they say will be a purely consultative body but others argue is a stepping stone to creating a treaty with Indigenous Australians, is what divides Australians.

“It won’t bring the practical results,” he said.

“It will change the way of governing very significantly, because of the broad words.”

“And I think that would bring the government’s decision-making process to a virtual standstill.”

On Sunday, Farnham, 74, said “You’re The Voice” had “changed my life” and he hoped it could be transformative more broadly.

“I can only hope that now, in a small way, it can help change the lives of our First Nations people for the better,” Farnham said.

It is the first time Farnham has allowed his song to be used for political purposes, with the singer shunning political and social issues throughout his fifty-year career.

Other Aussie moments featured in the two-minute ad soundtracking the song include Kevin Rudd’s apology for the Stolen Generation, John Howard’s gun reforms following the Port Arthur massacre, and the passing of same-sex marriage in 2016.

It also includes the government returning Uluru to its traditional owners in 1985, Australia’s 1983 Americas Cup victory, and the 1992 court case led by Eddie Mabo that paved the way for Indigenous land rights.

The ad features the original recording of Farnham’s song, which was first released in 1986.

Tim Wheatley, the son of Farnham’s manager Glenn Wheatley, added: ‘Win or lose this referendum, this number will forever be on the right side of history.’

The ad is directed by award-winning filmmaker and Kaytetye man Warwick Thornton.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Wednesday that the referendum will take place on October 14.

Australia’s last referendum was held 24 years ago, in 1999, to decide whether the country should become a republic.

The referendum will enshrine in the Constitution an Indigenous voice in parliament, aimed at giving Aboriginal Australians a direct role in the country’s political decisions.

Mr Albanese has long been confident that the referendum would succeed, despite opinion polls showing that marginal majority support for The Voice has declined in recent months as public debate has become more heated and divisive.

‘I think people are going to concentrate more. I expect many Australians to focus only in recent weeks,” Albanese told reporters. “A majority of Australians will come to the answer that there is nothing to lose here, only gain.”

The Yes campaign will need a majority of Australians and a majority in at least four of the six states to succeed. Only eight of the 44 referenda in Australia’s 122-year history have proved successful – all with bipartisan support.

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) will distribute 13 million information brochures to Australian households in the coming weeks.

“From aged care facilities to suburban homes, from outback stations to high-rise apartments, we are working with Australia Post to deliver the pamphlets across the country,” said Australian election official Nye Coffey.

Yes campaigner Noel Pearson said the vote in South Australia would be crucial to ensuring the Yes campaign wins a majority in at least four of the six states.

Warren Mundine, a campaigner for Nee, said the final push would be ‘a real battle for the hearts and minds of the Australian public out there’.

The latest polls show the Voice slumping in every state, and according to the latest Newspoll polls, the ‘Yes’ vote is leading only in South Africa and NSW.

In Victoria, the vote is evenly split, while the ‘no’ vote is leading in WA, Queensland and Tasmania.