Read Anthony Albanese’s message to Aussies planning to vote ‘no’ for Indigenous vote in parliament
Australians planning to vote ‘no’ to an Indigenous vote in parliament in an upcoming referendum have been given assurances that their views are not racist.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said people opposed to the vote are entitled to their views after opposition leader Peter Dutton accused him of swearing on the issue.
When asked if people who did not support the advisory body included in the constitution were racist, Mr Albanese replied ‘no’.
“Peter Dutton is doing his best to step up the debate,” he told Adelaide radio 5AA on Tuesday.
Beyond Blue has warned of the harm caused by racism and discrimination as the mental health support service backed a ‘yes’ vote.
It also announced that former federal Liberal minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt will join the board of Beyond Blue.
“I look forward to being part of an organization that has the courage to advocate for what is fair and right,” he said.
Julia Gillard, chairman of Beyond Blue and former Labor prime minister, called for a respectful debate on the vote
“Beyond Blue recognizes the profound damage racism and discrimination are doing to mental health and calls for a calm, informed and respectful debate ahead of the ballot referendum,” she said.
Facing accusations from the opposition that he had prioritized the vote over the rising cost of living, Mr Albanese noted that the government had provided an aid package in the 2023/24 budget.
“At the same time, we are going to give the Australian people the opportunity to vote on something that will overwhelmingly have no direct impact on most Australians,” he said.
“But it could make a positive difference for some of Australia’s most disadvantaged people.
“This is something that goes within the Australian ethos of the stock market.”
On Tuesday, bills outlining the proposed amendment to the constitution continued to be debated in federal parliament ahead of a referendum with votes between October and December.
The bill could pass the House of Commons on Wednesday before going to the Senate later in the month.
ripe Minister Anthony Albanese made an exciting appeal for Australians to support the vote in parliament
A coalition party meeting on Tuesday was told that ‘authorised dissenters’ had been nominated to vote against the voting bill, aiming to have input into the referendum pamphlet that will be sent to all households.
The Liberal whips have coordinated the process of choosing which MPs will vote against the legislation.
A regional MP said the ‘no’ campaign had not yet been granted deductible gift recipient status for the referendum and called on the leadership to work it out.
But it was the ‘no’ campaign that withdrew its application following the merger of two groups.
Nationals leader David Littleproud said the government focused on “niche social issues when people are struggling financially.”
Mr Albanese delivered the Lowitja O’Donoghue speech in Adelaide on Monday and said he believed Australians would wake up that morning with ‘the strongest feeling of our own’.
“A great nation that dared to become even greater, not just for ourselves but for the world,” he said.
Mr Albanese said that after a successful referendum treaty and telling the truth will be part of the country’s next phase of reconciliation with the indigenous people.
“One of the things a voice in parliament will be able to do is talk about the need for agreements to be reached and come together after conflict, and part of that is telling the truth about our history,” he said.