Opposition Indigenous Australians spokeswoman Jacinta Nampijinpa Price says the voting referendum will divide Australians along racial lines in a new ad supporting the ‘no’ campaign.
The Country Liberal Party senator appears in the ad alongside her husband Colin Lillie, who was born in Scotland and recently became an Australian citizen.
The ad was released on Wednesday by campaign group Fair Australia, which is funded by conservative lobby group Advance.
Senator Price was promoted to the shadow cabinet after Liberal MP Julian Leeser resigned to support the ‘yes’ campaign.
Opposition Indigenous Australians spokeswoman Jacinta Nampijinpa Price promotes a ‘no’ campaign and opposes vote in parliament referendum
Senator Price says in a new ad the referendum will divide Australians along racial lines
In the nine-minute ad, filmed in her hometown of Alice Springs, Senator Price shares her experience growing up in a blended family with a native mother and white father.
“What’s important to me is that in this country we don’t divide ourselves along the lines of race,” she says.
“I don’t want my family to be divided along the lines of race because we are a family of people and that’s what it comes down to.”
Mr. Lillie spoke of his “blended” family to Senator Price in the ad before describing his own experience as an outsider.
“I never really understood love until I came to Australia because Australia allowed me to become something new,” he said.
“I feel like what Australia has given me – that cornerstone that holds up, that thing that I love dearly – is being torn down and it scares me that my house could fall apart, and everyone who comes to Australia will feel that they are not. as an equal and will not get the same opportunities that I had.
“I’m quite concerned about how my career will go after this now that I’m here saying these things, but I’m here because I love my family and there’s a line running through my family — I won’t allow that.”
In the ad, Senator Price’s husband said that people should focus on inclusion rather than letting the debate drift down to one about race.
“I believe in my children and I see my children grow up to be men,” said Mr. Lillie.
“Men who believe in themselves, who will one day teach their children who will teach their children – our family is a mixed thing, our family is what Australia is.”
Senator Price spoke about her family’s story and how her mother was born under a tree before raising a woman who could become a minister of the Crown – a path she says is only possible under the existing constitution.
“Later this year, politicians will ask us to vote on a major amendment to our constitution. They want to establish a so-called voice in parliament. This is a really big deal,” Senator Price added.
“The constitution is the rulebook for running the country and they want the rules to change.
“I will vote ‘no’ because this will not unite us, this will divide us.”
On Wednesday, the Torres Strait Islanders and residents of far north Queensland called a parliamentary inquiry examining the wording of the proposed constitutional amendment.
The senator appears in the ad alongside her husband Colin Lillie, who was born in Scotland and recently became an Australian citizen.
Senator Price believes the existing Constitution is Australia’s cornerstone
Torres Strait Island Regional Council Mayor Phillemon Mosby said the people of the Torres Strait consider the vote an unfinished business.
“We stand with our Aboriginal brothers and sisters of this country, as Torres Strait Islanders, we support the Voice to Parliament,” he said.
“We believe this is an unfinished business and continue the work done by our predecessor, the late Honorable Eddie Mabo, who destroyed the terra nullius doctrine.”
Liberal MP Karen Andrews, who announced her resignation from the coalition’s front bench earlier this week, said the party was distracted by the vote debate and needed to focus on cost-of-living pressures.
Her colleague, Angus Taylor, opposition spokesman, agreed, saying the cost of living was the main concern for Australians.
“It is our top priority right now, as an opposition, as a liberal national coalition… and it must remain that way,” he told ABC radio on Thursday.
“Karen’s absolutely right when she says that.”
The proposed vote would recognize Indigenous Australians in the constitution and create a body that would advise the government on matters affecting the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Australians will vote in the referendum on The Voice between October and December at a date to be announced.