The ultimate falsehood in the bitter referendum debate is that an Indigenous advisory body would divide Australia by race.
The core assertion in the No campaign against the Indigenous Voice appears to be gaining power in a debate that has careered wildly from its start as a legal argument about creating an advisory body via a change to the Constitution.
But there is growing anger on all sides. Yes campaigners cannot hide their frustration at the way the No camp is gaining ground, while No supporters display a deep objection to the fundamental idea of the Voice. Sometimes, on social media, the result is pure hate.The core assertion is false, of course. The Voice is not about elevating one race above another. It is not about race at all. It is about recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people because they were here first.
This should not be contentious. The United Nations says there are about 370 million indigenous people in 70 countries. This is not about the colour of their skin, or stereotypes about who they are and how they behave. It is about their connection to the land before others arrived in more recent history.
Pearson’s vision seemed idyllic. He spoke of the Voice as a forum that could reach from a national peak to local meetings in a marquee under the mango trees in places like Aurukun in Cape York. He talked about how these local groups could meet every quarter, with Indigenous people on one side of the table and bureaucrats on the other, to talk about justice, housing, health, education and more.
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