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this post was submitted on 21 Jul 2023
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I honestly think this is one of the biggest strategic errors they've made. It plays right into the hands of the fearmongers, by letting them imagine a world where the Voice has more power than it really does, and by letting them wedge people who would otherwise be supportive by claiming it won't adequately represent Indigenous people of all groups. It doesn't matter if these claims are untrue; by not having a specific plan available, people on the fence are more likely to fill in the gaps with the worst image their imagination can conjure up.
They would either a) lie and say it anyway or b) find something else to bitch about. The conservatives oppose the voice and no amount of reason or evidence will stop them from finding an issue or making one up.
You’re not wrong, but the effectiveness of their opposition would be lessened a fair bit if Labor were smarter about their messaging.
You might be right, but when you don't care at all about truth, you can say anything you want. Most claims they're making can be easily fact checked, but they also rely on most people not having the time or the energy to actually read anything in detail.
Right, but my point isn't aimed so much at the people doing the lying, it's at the people they would be lying too. If they have to stretch even further from the known truth, there'll be fewer people buying into the lie.
Yeah, Labor's strategy and messaging has been pretty bad. Though it's always going to be difficult when your opponents are allowed to repeatedly and blatantly lie, even in official communication, without any consequences.
Those details can't be locked into the constitution - if they were we'd need a fresh referendum every time a minor detail needs to be changed.
Publicised details that haven't been worked out yet would allow the fear campaign to focus on Labor proposing changes to the constitution that don't line up with what they've said, which would be a disaster for the Yes vote. I think Labor knows what they're doing. Winning the referendum was never going to be a sure thing.
Also - if the referendum doesn't pass it will tarnish the LNP. Younger Australians, a demographic where 85% of people are in favour of The Voice, will stop thinking of LNP as "conservative" and instead think of them as "racist". The LNP might never recover from that. The cynic in me wonders of Labor deliberately brought this referendum upon us a little too early. If it fails, they can just repeat it in a few years when there will be more support (if only because a higher percentage of voters will from the generation of Aussies that clearly support The Voice)
Even if it does pass the LNP have gone pretty hard to try and stop it. I'm sure that they are already the party for old racists in the eyes of many young people. Since the Millennials aren't becoming more conservative as they age, this could end the LNP as a political force.
I would like to think the intent of the referendum is to show the majority of Australia wants to listen to what Indigenous Australians have to say on matters that concerns them. Flexibility in how that happens is key. By enshrining the voice in our constitution we are saying, "I'll listen even if I don't like what is said because it's important." With enough leeway that governments can change how they listen but not silence the voice altogether.
I'd be happy for additional referendums focused on the specifics but I'd also be fine with the elected government choosing what the voice of the day looks like.
Nothing will change overnight and I agree with the sentiment that we can make things better without a voice.
That said, if someone is hurting, you ask them how you can help. So it makes perfect sense to me to listen to what 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leaders have asked for and put the voice in the constitution.