Don't just sing along to this song - make it real.
It's time for an genuinely inclusive Australia
VOTE YES in the 2023 national referendum!
This blog is open to any who wish to comment on Australian society, the state of the environment or political shenanigans at Federal, State and Local Government level.
Don't just sing along to this song - make it real.
It's time for an genuinely inclusive Australia
VOTE YES in the 2023 national referendum!
For months now the entire country has known the exact wording of the national referendum question and text of the constitutional amendment which will create a permanent advisory body composed of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander representatives of the First Nations peoples of Australia.
National Referendum Question
“A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.
Do you approve this proposed alteration?”
**********
Text of additional clause to be inserted in the Constitution if referendum question is answered by a double majority in the affirmative
“Chapter IX Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
129 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice
In recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia:
there shall be a body, to be called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice;
the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice may make representations to the Parliament and the Executive Government of the Commonwealth on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples;
the Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws with respect to matters relating to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, including its composition, functions, powers and procedures.”
**********
On the morning of Wednesday, 31 May 2023 the second and third reading of the Constitution Alteration (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice) 2023 Bill occurred in the House of Representatives and was passed by a majority of the House with just 25 members out of a total of 145 members dissenting.
The parliamentary dissenters in alphabetical order were:
Birrell, Sam. J. Boyce, C. E. Buchholz, Scott (Teller)
Chester, Darren J. Conaghan, Patrick J. Coulton, Mark M. (Teller)
Gillespie, David A. Goodenough, Ian R.
Hamilton, G. R. Hawke, Alexander G. Hogan, Kevin J.
Howarth, Luke R.
Joyce, Barnaby T. G.
Landry, Michelle L. Littleproud, David
McCormack, Michael F.
O'Brien, Llewellyn S.
Pasin, Anthony Pike, Henry J. Pitt, Keith J.
Wallace, Andrew B. Webster, A. E. Willcox, Andrew J.
Wilson, Richard. J. and
Young, Terry J.
A majority of these dissenters took it upon themselves to organise and conduct a “No” campaign against the proposed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament once the referendum question had been approved by a majority in the House of Representatives.
Advance Aus Ltd formerly Freedom Aus Limited, Advance formerly known as Advance Australia & Fair Australia (both associated with Advance Aus Ltd), Recognise a Better Way, Whitestone Strategic Pty Ltd, Texas-based RJ Dunham & Co, Matthew Sheahan, Vicki Dunne, Laura Bradley, Simon Fenwick, Marcus Blackmore and former Liberal MP Tony Abbott are among the companies & persons which assist the dissenters in their apparent aim to sow doubt and division ahead of the referendum. [AFR, 10.04.23 & The Guardian, 13.07.23].
In this they appear to have had some measure of success.
According to custom, the parliamentary dissenters have also produced the official “No” campaign pamphlet titled “The case for voting No” which can be read in full and downloaded at:
https://www.aec.gov.au/referendums/files/pamphlet/the-case-for-voting-no.pdf
The first page summary text is as follows:
“REASONS TO VOTE NO – A SUMMARY
This Referendum is not simply about “recognition”. This Voice proposal goes much further.
If passed, it would represent the biggest change to our Constitution in our history.
It is legally risky, with unknown consequences. It would be divisive and permanent.
If you don’t know, vote no.
RISKY
We all want to help Indigenous Australians in disadvantaged communities. However, this Voice is not the answer and presents a real risk to our system of government.
This Voice specifically covers all areas of “Executive Government”. This means no issue is beyond its reach.
The High Court would ultimately determine its powers, not the Parliament.
It risks legal challenges, delays and dysfunctional government.
UNKNOWN
No details have been provided on how members of the Voice would be chosen or how it would operate. Australians are being asked to vote first before these details are worked out.
Australians should have details before the vote, not after.
We don’t know how it will work, we don’t know who will be on it, but we do know it will permanently divide us as Australians.
Some Voice supporters say this would just be a first step to reparations and compensation and other radical changes. So, what would come next?
DIVISIVE
Enshrining a Voice in the Constitution for only one group of Australians means permanently dividing our country.
It creates different classes of citizenship through an unknown body that has the full force of the Constitution behind it. Many Indigenous Australians do not support this.
PERMANENT
Putting a Voice in the Constitution means it’s permanent. We will be stuck with negative consequences
The content of this argument (which can be viewed at aec.gov.au/referendums/pamphlet.htm) was authorised by a majority of those members of Parliament who voted against the proposed law and desired to forward such a case. This text has been published without amendment by the Electoral Commissioner“
******
The official “Yes” campaign pamphlet from the majority of the parliamentary assenters titled “The case for voting Yes” can be read in full and downloaded at:
https://www.aec.gov.au/referendums/files/pamphlet/the-case-for-voting-yes.pdf?v=1.0
This affirmative campaign is assisted by YES23.
Examples of how the two very different pamphlets are being initially received in mainstream & social media:
Greg Craven furious no campaign used his previous voice concerns in pamphlet https://t.co/m1SHzOv11Q
— grace pettigrew (@broomstick33) July 18, 2023
Uluru Dialogue's Megan Davis and Pat Anderson, architects of the Voice, call the No referendum essay "cooked" and a "destructive agenda"
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) July 18, 2023
"The NO pamphlet has used taxpayers’ money to distribute misleading information aimed at holding our people back, all Australians in fact." pic.twitter.com/ByEC2JjWci
"The No Campaign have clearly taken advantage of the pamphlet not being fact-checked and done more to embolden racists than they have to argue against the Voice."https://t.co/ZS7FATECqz
— National Indigenous Times (@nit_times) July 18, 2023
The Yes pamphlet says the "idea" for the voice, came from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.....no it didn't AT ALL.....it came from the U.N, and has been in the works for years...."Project UNDRIP"....they lie and lie through their teeth...it's NOT grassroots.
— R1nky d1nk (@RD1nk33775) July 18, 2023
CONCERNING POLLED RESPONSES IN JULY 2023 TO THE PROPOSED NATIONAL REFERENDUM QUESTION
Latest Newspoll conducted on 12-15 July 2023 shows 48 per cent of the 1,570 surveyed voters say they now intend to vote no to the proposal to insert an Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Voice into the Australian Constitution.
Among surveyed voters from regional areas 62 per cent opposed the Voice proposal.
The survey breaks down by gender to 47 per cent of all males surveyed and 49 per cent of all females surveyed now oppose the Voice.
By age it appears that 59 per cent of those younger voters surveyed were in favour of inserting an Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Voice into the Australian Constitution, while 46 per cent of all older voters surveyed were in favour of the Voice.
NOTE: The 15 July 2023 Newspoll as reported does not breakdown responses by state and, as a referendum affirmative requires a majority of the voting age population in a majority of states, it is possible that at this time there is still a majority in favour of the Voices in four of the seven states & territories.
Byron Echo, 14 June 2023:
Showing their support for the ‘Yes’ vote were Alice and dozens of ‘Yes’ friends in Brunswick Heads. Photo Tree Faerie
The Richmond for Yes campaign kicked off this week, with a strong call for volunteers to help deliver a successful Voice referendum.
Bundjalung elder Charline Emzin-Boyd, who is leading the campaign locally, says, ‘People who want to be involved in this special moment in history can get in touch with us at Yes23’.
‘Volunteering is an opportunity to walk with us’, says Charline, ‘so people from different backgrounds and different politics can come together to make Australia a better place for everyone.’
The new campaign is based in the federal electorate of Richmond, which covers coastal towns from Tweed to Ballina, and west to Mullumbimby and Murwillumbah….
The Richmond electorate voted for the Labor Party platform - which included the Voice Referendum - at the 2022 federal general election, by re-electing sitting MP Justine Elliot for her seventh consecutive term as their representative in the Australian Parliament.
Other notable local supporters of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Voice to Parliament are former Liberal MLC Catherine Cusack and former Greens candidate for Richmond, Echo columnist Mandy Nolan & NSW Labor MLC for Lismore Janelle Saffin.
The YES 23 campaign has a website, https://yes23.com.au/.
That website allows everyone to keep track of what’s happening in the Northern Rivers region and elsewhere at:
https://action.yes23.com.au/events.
Information about the referendum question and what it means can also be found at:
This background paper answers many of the common questions concerning the proposed formal recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the Australian Constitution and the creation of the Voice to Parliament.
I hope it assists North Coast Voices readers ahead of any decision they make at the national referendum later this year.
"Responding to Common ... by clarencegirl
Hi! My name is Boy. I'm a male bi-coloured tabby cat. Ever since I discovered that Malcolm Turnbull's dogs were allowed to blog, I have been pestering Clarencegirl to allow me a small space on North Coast Voices.
A false flag musing: I have noticed one particular voice on Facebook which is Pollyanna-positive on the subject of the Port of Yamba becoming a designated cruise ship destination. What this gentleman doesn’t disclose is that, as a principal of Middle Star Pty Ltd, he could be thought to have a potential pecuniary interest due to the fact that this corporation (which has had an office in Grafton since 2012) provides consultancy services and tourism business development services.
A religion & local government musing: On 11 October 2017 Clarence Valley Council has the Church of Jesus Christ Development Fund Inc in Sutherland Local Court No. 6 for a small claims hearing. It would appear that there may be a little issue in rendering unto Caesar. On 19 September 2017 an ordained minister of a religion (which was named by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in relation to 40 instances of historical child sexual abuse on the NSW North Coast) read the Opening Prayer at Council’s ordinary monthly meeting. Earlier in the year an ordained minister (from a church network alleged to have supported an overseas orphanage closed because of child abuse claims in 2013) read the Opening Prayer and an ordained minister (belonging to yet another church network accused of ignoring child sexual abuse in the US and racism in South Africa) read the Opening Prayer at yet another ordinary monthly meeting. Nice one councillors - you are covering yourselves with glory!
An investigative musing: Newcastle Herald, 12 August 2017: The state’s corruption watchdog has been asked to investigate the finances of the Awabakal Aboriginal Local Land Council, less than 12 months after the troubled organisation was placed into administration by the state government. The Newcastle Herald understands accounting firm PKF Lawler made the decision to refer the land council to the Independent Commission Against Corruption after discovering a number of irregularities during an audit of its financial statements. The results of the audit were recently presented to a meeting of Awabakal members. Administrator Terry Lawler did not respond when contacted by the Herald and a PKF Lawler spokesperson said it was unable to comment on the matter. Given the intricate web of company relationships that existed with at least one former board member it is not outside the realms of possibility that, if ICAC accepts this referral, then United Land Councils Limited (registered New Zealand) and United First Peoples Syndications Pty Ltd(registered Australia) might be interviewed. North Coast Voices readers will remember that on 15 August 2015 representatives of these two companied gave evidence before NSW Legislative Council General Purpose Standing Committee No. 6 INQUIRY INTO CROWN LAND. This evidence included advocating for a Yamba mega port.
A Nationals musing: Word around the traps is that NSW Nats MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis has been talking up the notion of cruise ships visiting the Clarence River estuary. Fair dinkum! That man can be guaranteed to run with any bad idea put to him. I'm sure one or more cruise ships moored in the main navigation channel on a regular basis for one, two or three days is something other regular river users will really welcome. *pause for appreciation of irony* The draft of the smallest of the smaller cruise vessels is 3 metres and it would only stay safely afloat in that channel. Even the Yamba-Iluka ferry has been known to get momentarily stuck in silt/sand from time to time in Yamba Bay and even a very small cruise ship wouldn't be able to safely enter and exit Iluka Bay. You can bet your bottom dollar operators of cruise lines would soon be calling for dredging at the approach to the river mouth - and you know how well that goes down with the local residents.
A local councils musing: Which Northern Rivers council is on a low-key NSW Office of Local Government watch list courtesy of feet dragging by a past general manager?
A serial pest musing: I'm sure the Clarence Valley was thrilled to find that a well-known fantasist is active once again in the wee small hours of the morning treading a well-worn path of accusations involving police, local business owners and others.
An investigative musing: Which NSW North Coast council is batting to have the longest running code of conduct complaint investigation on record?
A fun fact musing: An estimated 24,000 whales migrated along the NSW coastline in 2016 according to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and the migration period is getting longer.
A which bank? musing: Despite a net profit last year of $9,227 million the Commonwealth Bank still insists on paying below Centrelink deeming rates interest on money held in Pensioner Security Accounts. One local wag says he’s waiting for the first bill from the bank charging him for the privilege of keeping his pension dollars at that bank.
A Daily Examiner musing: Just when you thought this newspaper could sink no lower under News Corp management, it continues to give column space to Andrew Bolt.
A thought to ponder musing: In case of bushfire or flood - do you have an emergency evacuation plan for the family pet?
An adoption musing: Every week on the NSW North Coast a number of cats and dogs find themselves without a home. If you want to do your bit and give one bundle of joy a new family, contact Happy Paws on 0419 404 766 or your local council pound.