SYDNEY (Reuters) – Phone lines at 13Yarn, a national Indigenous helpline in Australia, are experiencing a high volume of calls. National Program Manager Marjorie Anderson’s team is receiving three times more calls each week from distressed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people. This increase in calls coincides with the country’s upcoming vote on a significant referendum on Saturday. The referendum aims to recognize Indigenous people in the constitution.
According to Anderson, “Aboriginal people aren’t feeling safe.” She explains that as the debate on the referendum intensifies, more Aboriginal people are feeling overwhelmed and seeking assistance. Many have even decided to quit using social media platforms due to the toxic environment created by the debate.
The referendum poses a single-line question to Australians: whether they agree to change the 122-year old constitution to recognize Indigenous people and establish the Voice to Parliament, a body that can advise the government on matters affecting the Indigenous community.
Supporters of the referendum believe that this change will promote unity within Australia and improve the situation of the Indigenous people, who currently face significant marginalization. However, polling trends indicate that the ‘No’ vote is likely to prevail. This outcome concerns experts and human rights organizations as it may impede reconciliation efforts for several years.
Opponents argue that the proposal creates a racial divide in Australia and grants special rights to Aboriginal people in the country’s founding document. In addition, misinformation on social media has sparked fears that the Voice will become a third chamber of parliament, leading to increased federal aid to Aboriginal people and land disputes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals.
The debate surrounding the referendum has escalated to the point where Aboriginal leaders, journalists, and sports personalities have become targets of hate speech. Consequently, several individuals have decided to withdraw from public discourse.
Nathan Allen, an Aboriginal lawyer at law firm Gilbert + Tobin in Sydney, states that racist rhetoric using harmful stereotypes has gained traction on social media. He points out that influential individuals with large reach, such as business owners, board members, and lawyers, are actively spreading these racist and false narratives.
The Uluru Statement from the Heart, a document from 2017, proposed the Voice to Parliament and outlined a roadmap for Indigenous reconciliation with the broader Australian society. It calls for the Voice to be followed by a treaty and a truth-telling process.
In an interview with Reuters, Surya Deva, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development, emphasized that the proposed constitutional amendment is not an act of charity but an obligation arising from international human rights law. Deva reveals that in a letter sent on October 3 to Australian authorities, the UN urged the Voice to be seen as only the first step towards fully implementing the Uluru Statement and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). The content of this letter will be made public on December 2 after Australia has had the opportunity to respond.
Deva acknowledges that the referendum has caused unfortunate divisions in Australian society but also sees a positive aspect in the exposure of hidden discriminatory attitudes towards Indigenous Peoples brought to light by the debate.
In contrast to countries like Canada and New Zealand, Australia has not officially recognized or reached a treaty with its First Peoples. Discrimination against Indigenous Australians has persisted long after Australia’s establishment as a nation in 1901. Indigenous individuals, who account for 3.8% of the population, have experienced forced relocation from their traditional lands and the separation of Indigenous children, leading to what is known as the “stolen generation” due to policies implemented from the mid-19th century until the 1970s.
Some Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders have called for the referendum to be cancelled altogether, and recent polling indicates a declining level of support for the Voice, even among Indigenous voters. Most analysts anticipate the ‘No’ vote prevailing.
Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, an Indigenous woman and shadow Indigenous Affairs minister leading the ‘No’ campaign, warns that the Voice will become another battleground causing division among Aboriginal voices. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, a ‘Yes’ supporter, maintains hopes for a positive outcome but stated that he will not legislate the Voice if the proposal is rejected.
Ian Hamm, an Aboriginal man chairing the First Nations Foundation, an organization advocating for Aboriginal rights, expresses concerns that his community’s voice is at risk of being silenced. He describes a sense of dread and foreboding if the polls accurately predict a ‘No’ vote.
(Reporting by Praveen Menon; Editing by Kat Stafford and Stephen Coates)
