Local Aboriginal leaders say misinformation around The Voice continues to fuel racism in the Deniliquin community and needs to be addressed ahead of the referendum.
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It’s been a month since a historic bill to alter the constitution and enable the Indigenous Voice passed the federal parliament – 52 votes to 19 – with the nation set to vote later this year in Australia’s first referendum since 1999.
The question posed will read: “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?”.
Only days before the bill passed, the husband and wife team at the head of Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre - Jeanette OAM and David Crew - spoke publicly about being targeted by racist hate mail that prompted a call to action in the district community.
In response to this, Mr Crew contacted NSW Member for Murray Helen Dalton, Deputy Leader of the National Party and local Federal Senator for NSW Perin Davey, Federal Member for Farrer Sussan Ley and Edward River Council Mayor Peta Betts, asking on them “to step up as leaders” and publicly condemn the racist behaviour.
Mr Crew said Yarkuwa has since received further reports from locals about the prevalence of "serious misinformation" in the district community regarding the Uluru Statement from the Heart – an invitation from First Nations people that asks Australians for constitutional recognition by establishing a Voice to Parliament as one of its primary objectives.
“A consultant came to me and said that she'd been hearing so much [misinformation] when she was out talking to people about the water history of the Forest Creek, and the Voice came up,” Mr Crew said.
“Then they said that ‘the Voice will take all the decisions away from us’. They think this will lead to their farms being taken from them.”
“This was the same fear when the New South Wales land rights legislation was passed in the 1980s and the Native Title legislation in the 1990s, yet no land was taken from any one.”
Mrs Crew said she also was informed by a group of First Nations people from Sydney, who were visiting Deniliquin, about a conversation overheard while at a local restaurant.
“The table next to them was having a conversation about how (the Voice) is just a land grab,” the Wamba Wamba Elder said.
“How do we get the message across that it's not a land grab, and that the majority of Australians, as in non-Aboriginal people, are not going to be affected by it?”
“It is of no threat to anybody. It'll just help our voices to be heard; to give the benefit not only to Aboriginal people, but to our local economy and our own local society.”
Mr Crew said this misinformation is problematic as it “feeds into a narrative and the problem of electorate literacy” by influencing how Australians will vote in the Voice referendum.
“If you go on Twitter, or Facebook or wherever it is, there's so much misinformation there,” he said.
“If that's where you're going to get your information, you're going to get so much misinformation, so come and talk to us locally.”
Now the referendum bill has successfully been passed through parliament, Mr Crew said it’s time to have “an open conversation” about the Voice and to address any misinformation being spread by politicians and the no campaign.
He has since reached out again to the four local leaders about the additional reports from community members, and the misinformation about The Voice that’s circulating online and in the community.
“I welcome the opportunity to work with you all to look at how we communicate on the facts and take the heat out of it,” Mr Crew said in his invitation.
Mrs Dalton has a meeting to speak with the Crews in coming weeks, and has declined to comment publicly until she learns more.
The stance of our other representatives is as follows.
Federal Senator Perin Davey
“Racism is never acceptable under any circumstances. In politics and in life, it is common to have disagreements but it is important to remain respectful and in some cases agree to disagree,” Sen Davey said.
“This is especially true for The Voice debate.”
Senator Davey said she has met with the Crews to discuss the Voice and will do so again.
“Yarkuwa works each and every day to develop opportunities that will achieve those goals and I recognise, appreciate and support their work,” she said.
“We all want to increase dialogue and understanding about local issues and our region's history and I applaud Yarkuwa’s open door policy and their aim to share local Indigenous knowledge.”
“In the lead up to the referendum, I ask people, regardless of how you intend to vote, respect each other and focus on our common humanity.”
Federal Member for Farrer Sussan Ley
Ms Ley said her previous response - which called for both sides of the debate to keep a respectful tone - still stands, and wanted to wait until she had the chance to catch up with the Crews “face-to-face in Deni to hear about their concerns” to comment further.
In May, Ms Ley - who is also deputy leader of the Federal Opposition - delivered a speech in Parliament on the then proposed bill.
In it, she indicated she would be voting ‘yes’ to the Bill, “but ‘no’ to the Prime Minister’s question”.
“The Prime Minister’s proposed reform of the Constitution is unsound and it is my strong view that a ‘yes’ vote will not result in better outcomes for Indigenous Australians, but it could result in worse outcomes for all Australians,” Ms Ley said.
Edward River Mayor Peta Betts
Cr Betts said she was, and continues to be, “bitterly disappointed at the correspondence David and Aunty Jenny received”.
“I, along with my colleagues at Edward River Council, have worked hard to build strong, transparent and honest relationships with our First Nations people and David, Aunty Jenny and indeed the whole Yarkuwa team have reciprocated by being a part of those discussions and working alongside us to host events that include the whole community as one,” she said.
“I would hope in this day and age people can have conversations, and differing opinions, but still have the ability to show respect for the other’s viewpoint.”
Fleur Connick is a rural and regional reporter with The Guardian Australia, embedded with the Deniliquin Pastoral Times.