Jacinta Nampijinpa Price stood by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton on Saturday night as she thanked Australia for voting No in the Voice of Parliament referendum, saying the result was ‘good for our country’.
But some Coalition supporters watching suggested their positions should be reversed – and that Ms Price should be the country’s alternative prime minister.
The Indigenous senator played a key role in the No campaign and worked tirelessly to poke holes in the arguments of the Yes campaign.
She kept her cool throughout and even dodged a barrage of vile racist abuse at the polls as she went from a political unknown, to the face of the campaign and now one of the country’s most popular politicians.
“Dutton please step aside, Jacinta to lead the Liberal party please”, wrote one person on social networks.
Another said: ‘P*** from Dutton, make Jacinta Price leader of the opposition.’
Peter Dutton (left) and Jacinta Price (right) held a press conference to celebrate the victory of their No campaign for the Voice referendum on Saturday night
‘Now what? Better watch your step Dutton, I see a rising supernova superstar behind you!” added a third.
A fourth commented: ‘Dutton is such a robot. At least Jacinta seems pleased, Dutton doesn’t seem to believe anything he says. Just a devastating emptiness of a human being.’
The No vote won in every state, meaning there will be no Indigenous recognition enshrined in the Constitution and no advisory body made up of Indigenous Australians to inform Parliament.
“Clearly, obviously, the referendum was not successful and I think that’s good for our country,” Mr Dutton told Australians at a press conference on Saturday night.
“Tonight, while most Australians will be happy with the result, there will certainly be Australians who are disappointed.
“What matters tomorrow is that this result does not divide us as a people. What matters is that we all accept this result in the great spirit of our democracy.
“Throughout this debate, I have criticized what I consider to be a bad idea, to divide Australians on the basis of their heritage or the time in which they came to our country.”
Mr Dutton also called out Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for allegedly creating the ‘divisive’ situation.
Viewers called for Jacinta Price to lead the opposition with some voters (above) calling Peter Dutton a ‘robot’
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (above) conceded defeat after a majority in every state voted No in the referendum
“The Coalition, like all Australians, wants to see Indigenous disadvantage addressed. We just don’t agree that the Voice is the solution,” he said.
“While Yes and No voters may have differences of opinion, these differences do not diminish our love for our country or our love for each other.
“This is the referendum Australia didn’t need to have. The proposal and process should have been designed to unite Australians, not divide us.’
Mrs. Price followed Mr. Price’s speech. Dutton with a message for Australians to get ‘stronger’ after the result.
“I want to thank the Australian people for believing in our great nation in the sense that the vast majority of Australians want what is best for each and every one of us, including our most marginalized Indigenous Australians,” she said.
“The Australian people have voted, overwhelmingly, to say No to this referendum.
“They have said No to division within our Constitution along the lines of race, they have said No to gas, bullying, manipulation.
“They have said No to complaints and pushback from campaigners to suggest we are a racist country when we absolutely are not a racist country.”
Senator Price kept it cool throughout and even dodged a barrage of vile racist abuse at the polls as she went from a political unknown, to the face of the campaign and one of the nation’s favorite leaders.
Mr Dutton (pictured on Saturday with Price) called out Mr Albanese for launching the ‘divisive’ referendum
Senator Price added that until Australians can come together, Indigenous issues will not be resolved.
“We are one of, if not, the greatest nations in this world and it’s time for Australians to believe that once again, to be proud to call ourselves Australian,” she said.
“Until we are proud, we cannot be strong enough to create a position to address our difficult issues.
“(I want to thank) the Nationals for coming out and drawing a line in the sand and saying ‘No’ to this proposal at the start of the article so Australians would know it was OK.
“It is good to admit that this was a bad proposal – a proposal for which the Prime Minister did not give details. When we kept asking questions. We never received any response.
“We could not be shown with any clarity or demonstrated how this proposal was supposed to support our most marginalized Indigenous Australians.”
She went on to explain how most Indigenous Australians she spoke to did not support the Voice, despite the Yes campaign advertising otherwise.
Mr Albanese (above) called for Yes lawyers to show ‘grace and humility’ after losing the referendum, saying ‘we make big decisions peacefully and as equals’
“For me, my family, we experienced three funerals yesterday. “For me, my family is still sitting in communities where they have mostly been exploited for the purposes of someone else’s agenda,” she said.
“This referendum was another one of those agendas.
“It was suggested that 80 per cent of Indigenous Australians supported this proposal when we knew that was not the case. When I knew I had spoken to people all over the Northern Territory.
“Overwhelming numbers of Indigenous Australians did not support the proposal.”
Meanwhile, in tears Mr.
“When we reflect on everything happening in the world today, we can all be thankful that here in Australia we make the big decisions peacefully and equally, with one vote, one value,” he said.
“I never imagined it, nor did I say it would be easy. Very few things in public life are worth doing.’
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