The Voice; it’s OK to vote No

I would like to respond to the articles on page six of CCN 390 – Info session on the Voice to Parliament deemed a success and Greens urge Coasties to vote yes to the Voice.

As I see it, an “information session” on the Voice to Parliament would have a panel representing both sides of the debate.

I can’t read of any “No” advocates being represented.

I wonder, in the discussion were the following points brought up?

There are already 11 Aboriginal MPs in parliament, more than 300 Aboriginal organisations that receive millions of dollars to act (as a Voice).

What about the National Indigenous Australians Agency which says it exists “to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a say in the decisions that affect them”?

If all this hasn’t helped the true Aboriginal community I can’t see what the Voice will do – except fill the pockets of the Aboriginal bureaucrats; it’s unnecessary.

This Voice gives favour to certain people based on race, separating us from one another.

It creates an “us and them” society; it’s divisive.

This Voice (would be) enshrined in the Constitution and be there forever.

Under freedom of information laws, The National Indigenous Australians Agency was forced to release secret government documents which say: (in simple terms); the Voice forces Australians into a “treaty”; the treaty means Australians pay a percentage of the GDP – that is, a percentage of the entire nation’s economy – to the Voice … every year; and Australians (would be) forced to pay “rates/land tax/royalties” to the Voice.

The documents further explain: “ … a Treaty could include a proper say in decision-making, the establishment of a truth commission, reparations, a financial settlement (such as seeking a percentage of GDP), the resolution of land, water and resources issues, recognition of authority and customary law”.

It also says they want to abolish the Australian flag, because it “symbolised the injustices of colonisation”.

A direct quote from these documents says “Australia got a whole country for nothing, they haven’t even begun to pay for it”.

One of the key advocates of the Voice, and designer of the main Voice model, Tom Calma, said the funding put aside by states for any treaty-making would depend on the number of tribal groups in each jurisdiction, population size and land mass.

But on a national level, he said, the focus needed to remain on the Voice.

“Let’s get the referendum out of the way then focus on agreement making,” he said.

Changing our constitution is a BIG deal and should be brought to the Australian public with intelligent reasoning, not emotive narrative—appealing to the public’s emotions and telling us we need to vote yes to demonstrate our virtue—or coercion from corporations and sporting bodies.

It’s OK to vote NO.

We need action from the government for our Aboriginal people, not a Voice.

Email, May 24
Linda Telisman, Umina Beach