John Farnham backs Indigenous Voice to Parliament: How Australian singer could save the Yes campaign

The Yes campaign for the Voice has found a public figure in the form of legendary singer John Farnham as he desperately tries to win over voters.

Farnham, 74, provided his iconic song You’re The Voice for an official campaign ad, which was well received by the Yes camp and its supporters.

“This song has changed my life. I can only hope that now, in a small way, it can help change the lives of our First Nations people for the better,” the singer said in a statement.

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 Yes campaign was forced to ditch celebrities in a humiliating backflip earlier this year over fears Australians disliked being condescending.

The campaign is slowly losing support as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Linda Burney fail to turn the tide with their political rhetoric.

Disturbing polls indicate The Voice is headed for defeat in the referendum, but Farnham’s addition has renewed hope that the singer’s charm and appeal could turn the tide and lure more supporters to the Yes camp .

Farnham is regarded as one of Australia’s most iconic singers. The superstar won several music awards, was named Australian of the Year in 1987 and was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2003.

It seems that Farnham and the use of his song in the ad contributed to the recognition of the importance of an Indigenous voice.

Farnham’s move, who has remained relatively apolitical throughout his music career, has also sparked strong backlash online from his fans and other Australians.

“A very sad day today to hear that John Farnham is allowing his song to be used for the YES campaign,” one woman wrote.

“Selling yourself to a divided political point of view.”

‘I’ve been a fan of yours for decades. You just sold your soul to half of Australia. You should be ashamed.’

Another said: ‘I always thought the song ‘You’re The Voice’ was for all Australians.’

“Disappointed that John Farnham has decided to make it divisive and political.”

“You are not my voice John Farnham….” added a third.

“John Farnham has given permission for his song ‘You’re The Voice’ to be used in the #VoteYes23 campaign to promote racial division in Australia,” another wrote.

“Effectively he lost at least 60% of his audience.”

Opposition leader Peter Dutton took a swipe at the Yes campaign in response to the ad, dryly commenting during an interview on Sky News that the song’s lyrics could backfire.

“In a way, this is the apt 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 that he’ll give you the details after the vote has taken place, which is quite remarkable.’

Mr Dutton said if the referendum fails on October 14, he will hold a referendum to constitutionally recognize Indigenous Australians without establishing a body.

Others have praised Farnham for his support of the Yes camp.

“Despite the extreme harassment and meanness of the No campaign, aimed at anyone using their voice to help others find their own voice, Farnham has loaned his Australian anthem, You’re The Voice, in support of The Voice!” said one.

“It’s great that John Farnham has given permission to use his song ‘You’re The Voice’ as the front man of the YES CAMPAIGN,” said a second commentary.

Another wrote: ‘Great news about John Farnham allowing the Yes campaign to use his song ‘You’re the voice’.

Featuring Farnham’s iconic hit, the campaign ad features a family watching historic Australian moments on television.

It includes Cathy Freeman who won gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Kevin Rudd’s apology to the Stolen Generation, John Howard’s gun reforms following the Port Arthur massacre, and the 2016 legalization of same-sex marriage.

It is also about the government that returned Uluru to its traditional owners in 1985, the Australian Americas Cup victory in 1983 and the court case led by Eddie Mabo in 1992 that paved the way for Indigenous land rights.

The Uluru Statement announced the collaboration with the singer on social media: “Today we are launching our new ad in collaboration with John Farnham AO.”

“With the unofficial anthem You’re the Voice as a backing track, Farnham lends his voice to the Voice to support the YES vote.”

The campaign ad will air from Sunday on television, social media and other digital platforms.

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

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.

It comes as the prime minister faces falling support for the Voice to Parliament, with a poll showing voters linking his handling of the issue to his ‘competence and judgment’.

Labor’s primary vote has fallen to just four percentage points ahead of the coalition, according to the latest poll by the Resolve Political Monitor.

While Mr Albanese is still the preferred leader over Mr Dutton, the latest results for the prime minister are the lowest in the Resolve polls since he won the federal election 15 months ago. Nine newspapers reported.

A double blow to Mr Albanese is that support for The Voice also continues to decline in the run-up to the October referendum.

Support for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament has fallen from 63 percent a year ago – to just 46 percent last month.

The results of the poll showed that the proposed Voice has majority support in Victoria and Tasmania.

But it has majority opposition in NSW, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia.