I refer to the letter (CCN 392) headed “The Voice; it’s OK to vote No”.
I wish to state that it is not OK to vote No when misinformation and disinformation are offered up as the reasons why.
The misinformation in this case is when the letter says “the Voice forces Australians into a treaty”.
This is wrong as a Treaty is a binding agreement between two or more willing parties and it sets out the terms of engagement and obligations of all sides to maintain the agreement; no side can be forced into a Treaty.
The disinformation is when the article mentions the nation’s economy, the GDP and the Australian Constitution in a way that feeds doubt and could alarm voters so I encourage readers to check out the Solicitor-General Stephen Donaghue’s legal advice on A Voice, handed to Parliament on April 21.
In it he states: “The Voice will not fetter or impede the exercise of existing powers of Parliament and is not just compatible with our system of government but an enhancement of our democracy.”
It’s all there in the official parliamentary records for every voter to read and to ask their own questions.
The letter also muddies the debate when it (says) “This Voice gives favour to certain people based on race”.
I argue strongly that it’s not giving favour – it’s looking at: addressing the continuing intolerable statistics of the incarceration rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) peoples in jails compared to other nationalities in Australia and comparable countries; the ongoing deaths in police custody of ATSI peoples; the 10-year earlier death rate of ATSI peoples; health issues; educational issues; and housing etc.
As Australians we can unite to make things better for all if we check out the facts of exactly what A Voice means and base our vote accordingly.
Email, Jun 1
Marliene Byrne, Point Frederick