The Voice: Moment YouTuber Luke Erwin takes out the voice Vote Yes! sign and puts it in his car – but not everyone is happy about it
A YouTube prankster known for his controversial stunts has sparked controversy again by removing Vote Yes signs ahead of the Voice to Parliament referendum.
Luke Erwin, from the Gold Coast, uploaded footage showing him ripping the sign off a tree and putting it in the boot of a car.
“Vote f***ing No,” he said in the clip.
A man who was not visible in the video, but had recorded the incident, laughed and said to Mr Erwin: ‘No, don’t put him in my car, they are coming after us.’
Mr Erwin’s latest stunt led to mixed reactions.
Mr Erwin’s latest stunt led to mixed reactions
Some former fans said they would “unfollow” him over this move, while others supported him and said they would also vote “no.”
Manly Sea Eagles NRL star Jason Saab was among the followers who responded, leaving a ‘goat’ and fire sign emoji.
Often the “goat” emoji is associated with the phrase “greatest of all time.” The NRL formally backed a yes vote earlier this year, along with many other national sporting codes.
One critic said: ‘Look at all the bearded bogans agreeing with you in the comments. You have a certain kind of follow-through.’
Another said: ‘That’s disgusting, who do you think you are.’
Luke Erwin, who lives on the Gold Coast, uploaded a video of himself ripping the sign off a tree and putting it in the boot of a car
A man who was not visible in the video, but who had recorded the incident, laughed and said to Mr Erwin: ‘No, don’t put him in my car, they are coming after us’
It comes as the Voice to Parliament debate heats up, with Yes campaigners seeking to combat poor polling with a targeted advertising campaign across the country.
Up to 200,000 protesters took to the streets this weekend in support of The Voice, with a new advert featuring a young Indigenous boy to touch people’s hearts.
The child asks Australians to think about a series of simple questions about his future.
‘Will I grow up in a country that hears my voice? Will I live as long as other Australians?’ the little boy asks.
‘Can I go to a good school? Will I be able to learn the language of my people? Will I be seen outside the sports field, recognized by the decision makers of our country?
The Yes campaign is still confident it can achieve a victory, despite polls showing otherwise
‘Yes makes it possible.’
Despite declining support in the polls showing every state leaning towards a No vote, the Yes campaign is still confident it can secure a victory, relying on ‘soft’ No voters and Australians who have not yet joined the debate at all.
Soft No voters will be targeted over the next four weeks, and there will be a concerted effort to educate members of the public who have not yet participated in the discussion.
While the Yes23 campaign has been active on social media and has rolled out ads in the past, they are significantly ramping up efforts between now and the referendum.
It’s a change of pace for the campaign, which initially favored celebrity endorsements before shifting to sharing the stories of everyday people.
The advert runs alongside Uluru Dialogue’s successful You’re the Voice advert featuring John Farnham’s famous song.