Dutton has much to answer for
This weekend Australia determines whether we accept the request of our First Nations people for a Voice to parliament, or whether we put the country back “another 50 years” as Indigenous activist Gary Foley claims. Foley should know. He established the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra in 1972 and an Aboriginal Legal Service in Redfern shortly after.
Should the referendum be unsuccessful, it could well be the last one held. As Samantha Helps points out, the commonality to the challenges facing Australians is “sneaky, pathetic governance”. What could be more pathetic than Peter Dutton and the No case choosing “If you don’t know, vote No” as their slogan. This slogan gives democracy the finger.
Should any Australian still not know how to vote on Saturday and be lured by the cop-out slogan, then please think twice. Voting No out of ignorance is harmful and misrepresents the true community feeling. Voting informal would be more honest.
Australia is better than negative slogans. Peter Dutton and others in the No camp have much to answer for.
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