Re Gary Field’s comments (Setting facts straight on the Voice to Parliament, CCN394).
Gary declares his intentions “to correct a number of errors of fact” contained (in) Linda Telisman’s published letter (CNN392).
His statement may itself be an “error of fact”.
In Gary’s extensive letter he identified and referred to just one supposed “error of fact” while predominantly concentrating on, overtly and tacitly promoting the Voice.
Gary identified that single supposed “error of fact” by saying “Telisman’s falsely named secret government documents…”
Secret government documents may or may not be an “error of fact”, but it is a fact that those documents were only released by the National Indigenous Australians Agency, when forced to do so, under freedom of information laws.
Gary responded to that by saying “They are individual views expressed during the 2016 National Indigenous Dialogue……leading up to the National Constitution Convention at Uluru.”
He went on to say “In fact, 97 per cent of the Convention delegates endorsed the Uluru Statement from the Heart.”
That should come as no surprise to anybody, considering that 100 per cent of delegates MUST be Torres Strait Islanders or Aborigines.
What is a surprise, three per cent of the delegates rejected it.
It’s fair to suggest that these individual speakers in particular and indeed the overwhelming majority who attend any National Indigenous Dialogue meeting, would almost certainly be a Torres Strait Islander or Aborigine.
Just as surely, these same individual speakers will be saying the same things if the Voice is enshrined in the Constitution.
Some of those things which Linda Telisman has revealed include treaties, truth telling commissions, rates/land tax/royalties, reparations and more.
Furthermore, just last week in Alice Springs several delegates, who are all signatories to the “Statement of the Heart”, have revealed that they have been falsely named as supporters of the Voice (apparently by the Yes Vote Campaign).
These Aboriginal delegates were interviewed on TV saying “That canvas (document) is trouble”.
They denounced it and want nothing to do with it (the Voice).
In Gary’s letter he refers to his and other Central Coast Aboriginal Organisations and some state governments currently working together to improve their lives.
For that I commend him.
However, most of their plans and activities, as announced by Gary, concur with and confirm some of the things Linda Telisman has revealed, which I previously referred to.
Email, Jun 25
Mark Duffy, Mount White