Key architect of The Voice Megan Davis makes sensational claim about the referendum, as she warns Albo not to break an election promise and lashes out at the ABC

A key architect of the Uluru Statement from the Heart has criticized Anthony Albanese for not dropping The Voice when it became clear the referendum would fail.

Ahead of the first anniversary of the of the Voice referendum on October 14, constitutional law professor Megan Davis has claimed she was open to the idea of ​​dropping the referendum altogether after the extent of its unpopularity became clear in the polls.

“If the Prime Minister and others had really definitive information that the land was going to be lost, we were concerned as to why that would happen as it was clear we did not have enough time to prosecute the case,” Professor Davis told the newspaper. ABC Insiders.

The Voice to Parliament, which would have amended the Australian Constitution by creating a body to consult on laws affecting Indigenous people, was defeated by an overwhelming majority.

Nationally, 60 per cent of people voted against it – and it was rejected by all states and territories except the ACT.

Prof Davis went on to say that it is a the election promise was broken if the Albanian government did not submit a Makarrata Commission.

The role of the Makarrata Commission would be to initiate a process of agreement-making and truth-telling that would ultimately lead to a treaty.

When it became clear that the Voice was unlikely to pass, Professor Davis claimed her thoughts turned to whether it was worth going through with it or not.

Prof Davis said she did not have enough time to “educate the Australian people” about “this decade-long advocacy, multi-party process for constitutional recognition”.

She added that if her relationship with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had been stronger, she might have asked him to drop the vote.

‘I would be open to that discussion. Referendums could be canceled – and I think there could have been better coordinated conversations about that,” she said.

“I know there were leaders who were very concerned about going ahead when … they had such clear information that it would fail.”

Ms Davis still believes in the Voice’s values ​​but claims disinformation played a major role in its demise and has called for legislation to counter ‘Trumpian’ lies.

During a lecture at the University of NSW, Prof. Davis also takes aim at the ABC for its ‘false equivalence’ in broadcasting interviews with Yes and No campaigners.

‘The ABC continually sent an email to all Aboriginal staff at UNSW saying: ‘We are desperate for a No activist from La Perouse, can someone please find one as there is a debate coming up’ , she said. Unpleasant The Australian.

Prof Davis added that if her relationship with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had been stronger, she might have asked him to drop the vote (the two are pictured together)

“We have to do all this ABC interaction based on the most ridiculous arguments that weren’t even plausible legal arguments, but just because they wanted this balance.

“By the time you get to the last six weeks, commercial television wasn’t even showing Yes (campaigners). Unless No was managing someone, unless Advance (appointed an interviewee) they wouldn’t be managing someone from the Yes campaign.”

Professor Davis also expressed concern that Mr Albanese would go back on his promise to introduce the Makarrata Commission.

In the Uluru statement, signatories called on parliament to implement the Stem before launching a programme Makarrata Commission to ensure its message was delivered.

Ms Davis went on to say that it would be a broken election promise if the Albanian government did not submit a Makarrata Commission

At this year’s Garma festival, Mr Albanese said Makarrata means “coming together after a battle”, but critics have cited his definition of the word.

Professor Davis said she did not know exactly where the government stood on the commission, but said it was “part of their election manifesto”.

“So you know, that would be a broken election promise,” she said.

“Presumably they have said that they don’t think they can continue that with the current opposition, and that they will leave that to the next term.”

Yes campaign director Dean Parkin said there was a clear difference between a “commitment to Makarrata versus a commitment to a Makarrata committee”.

She admitted she did not know where the government currently stands on the committee, but noted that this remains a priority within Labor Party policy.

Ms Parkin noted that the committee had gone through Labour’s policy conference and was part of its election manifesto.

Failure by the party to establish a Makarrata Commission would amount to a broken election promise, Parkin said.

She said it was “actually a super dangerous thing” for Labor to anchor the pledge only in any form of symbolic recognition.

Ms Parkin was also critical This week saw the launch of Senator Fatima Payman’s party, which co-opted the use of “vote” in its namesake.

Senator Payman launched the Australia’s Voice party calling Ms Parkin’extremely insensitive,” especially around the anniversary of the Voice’s defeat.

However, the senator dismissed the controversy, saying she “doesn’t understand why” her party name became an issue as “the word ‘vote’ is not trademarked.”