‘White saviours’ accused of finding flaws in voice proposal ‘to stay in spotlight’ by working group member
GuardianNov 29, 2022
The Facts
Australian PM Anthony Albanese has unveiled details of a planned referendum that would change the country's constitution for the first time in almost 50 years. If approved, the vote would establish an "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice" — a formal body for Indigenous people to advise on legislation.
Indigenous Australians, who represent about 3.2% of Australia's nearly 26M population, are not currently mentioned in the nation's constitution.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The time is now to hold a referendum on whether Australia should change its 122-year-old constitution and begin recognizing the First Peoples of Australia by establishing a consultative committee in parliament to provide non-binding advice on matters that affect Indigenous people. Australian history did not begin in 1788. Human beings have lived there for 60K years, making it the oldest continuous civilization on Earth. That should be a source of pride.
Establishment-critical narrative
The argument against the "Voice" is a matter of principle: should we abandon the egalitarian nature of Australian democracy and give one racial group — and their descendants for all time — constitutionally guaranteed additional influence in all areas of public policy? The answer is no. The ideals of liberal democracy that emerged in revolutionary America and France must be defended.
