Kamahl: Moment the confused Aussie icon, 88, somersaults on vote support AGAIN as he supports the No vote on The Project, days after being booted from the Yes campaign
Australian singer Kamahl has reversed his support for the Voice to Parliament for the second time, just two days after saying he would vote Yes.
The 88-year-old wrote on social media on Friday that he would vote ‘YES’ in the upcoming referendum on October 14, citing a meeting with indigenous comedian Dane Simpson and constitutional lawyer Eddie Synot where he pledged support.
But two days later, the Malaysian-born singer has spoken out against his own position, telling The Project he will vote ‘No’.
“If you do the Voice this way, it becomes a racist issue. You are setting an entire race of people apart from the rest of the country,” he said.
“I apologize, call me hypocritical or ignorant, but I am now informed,” he continued.
Australian singer Kamahl has reversed his support for the Voice to Parliament for a second time, just two days after saying he would vote Yes, much to the shock of The Project presenters including Rachel Corbett (pictured)
Project presenter Hamish Macdonald (pictured) fact-checked Kamahl’s $40 billion claim
“Whatever I said before, wipe it away, but start again and forgive me.”
Then Kamahl began arguing with host Hamish Macdonald after the singer began quoting a $40 billion figure he believed had been paid by the government to the indigenous community, which the journalist “fact-checked.”
“If this happens, it will be based on race, the indigenous people already have a voice, it is purely an opportunity to make an effort to find out what they want to say and what should be done for them,” he said in the program.
“And right now it’s $40 billion a year… where does the money go?”
Kamahl was immediately stopped by Macdonald, who asked him where he “got that figure from.”
“The $40 billion? I saw it in… someone told me. Do you think I’m making it up?’ the singer shot back at the host.
The interview veered off topic before Kamahl brought up the figure again, saying, “All I know is they’re spending $40 billion.”
“I feel like we should probably verify the $40 billion figure because you’ve used it a few times and I know a lot of people are listening to you,” Macdonald said.
Kamahl (center) wrote on social media on Friday that he would vote ‘YES’ in the upcoming referendum on October 14, citing a meeting with indigenous comedian Dane Simpson and constitutional lawyer Eddie Synot where he pledged support
Kamahl (pictured on The Project) has changed his mind twice about how he will vote in the upcoming referendum
“I think Tony Abbott claimed a few years ago that the National Indigenous Australians Agency was spending $30 billion a year.
“That has been fact-checked as untrue. The government agency says it has never allocated $30 billion a year to Indigenous programs; the total budget for 2022-2023 was $4.5 billion.”
After some more back and forth between the two, Kamahl admitted that he “made a mistake” with the figure, but still chose to vote “no.”
In announcing his earlier “Yes” position, Kamahl said he had spent “sleepless nights weighing the pros and cons.”