Western Sydney says No to the Voice

Over 600 Western Sydney community members will come together in Blacktown this evening to hear from Indigenous leaders Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Senator Kerrynne Liddle and Warren Mundine AO about the No Case for The Voice.

The Labor Albanese Government is proposing the biggest change to Australia’s Constitution in history, and with the Referendum likely to be held in less than two month’s time, it is important that people in Western Sydney have the opportunity to hear about the reasons to vote No. This Voice poses risks to our system of government, it is lacking details, it will divide us as Australians, and we will be stuck with any negative consequences forever. Putting a Voice in the Constitution is permanent.

Australians overwhelmingly support the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia's First People in our Constitution. But this Voice is not about that. It is about a risky, unknown, divisive and permanent change to our country, and the Albanese Labor Government refuses to provide the Australian people with any of the details.

In fact, Labor’s Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney won’t even have a debate with the Shadow Aboriginal Affairs Minister Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price on an issue Labor says is the most important “ever” for Aboriginal people.

The community of Western Sydney deserves to hear the truth about this Canberra Voice that is being pushed along by big business and noisy activists. They need to know what it will mean for our country, to them as individuals, and their families.

Quotes attributable to Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price:
“I’m very excited to have the opportunity to come and speak to the people of Western Sydney about the upcoming referendum,” said Senator Nampijinpa Price. “The people here understand how important unity and community are for a country.

“There is a lot of goodwill in Western Sydney, and they want to help their fellow Australians, but they know we won’t solve the problems facing Indigenous Australians through division.”

“I am very grateful to my colleagues hosting us tonight and I am looking forward to hearing the concerns of Western Sydney about the divisive Voice.”

Quotes attributable to Senator Kerrynne Liddle:
“Whether you came here last year, 30 years ago or yesterday and became an Australian citizen the Australian Constitution is the one place where we must be treated equally.

“This referendum seeks to divide us.

“Don’t vote just because it makes you feel good, be convinced that it’s going to do good. I ask all Australians to think about the impact of changing the Constitution, the uncertainty, the permanency, and the risk.”

Quotes attributable to Warren Mundine AO:
"The Prime Minister thinks this voice is going to be a magic wand that fixes all the issues in Indigenous affairs, the one thing that can actually make an impact today is accountability.

“The taxpayer pays approximately $30 billion a year to address things like closing the gap, yet we do not know where the money is going, it is definitely not getting where it needs to, the regional, rural and remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

“This government just wants to add another layer of bureaucracy that will be accountable to no one."

Quotes attributable to Alex Hawke MP:
“The Constitution should be about the principle of equality of rights. Over 7 million people in Australia were born overseas, representing 27.6% of the population. Most people have no ownership of our colonial period.”

“There's no doubt that the polls are telling us people don't understand exactly what the Voice is or how it will function. That's all demographics, including older people, younger people and migrants. This is a failure of the Albanese Government.”

Quotes attributable to Melissa McIntosh MP:
“Of course I want better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Western Sydney, which is best achieved through local programs on the ground. There is nothing about the Voice that explains how the lives of people in our local communities will be better.

“When I speak with people in my community, they are worried they haven’t been told by the Albanese Labor Government what the Voice is about. They are also concerned that it is not about equality for all, which is everything in this country. One constituent from Penrith said Australians no matter what your background deserve fair and equal representation in our parliament, not just certain groups, and another resident from Emu Heights said to me that all Australians should have an equal voice.”