If you're worried about The Voice

Dear ,

From my conversations with our members if you (with a few exceptions) were representative of the Australian population then the referendum to establish “The Voice” would be lost overwhelmingly.

If you read the public opinion polls, you’d know that’s not where the electorate is at the moment.

This is a public service announcement to let those of you who are opposed to The Voice know that you are not alone, and a No Campaign, formed by indigenous and other prominent Australians, has been formed.

Recognise a Better Way has a committee consisting of four indigenous Australians - Senator Jacinta Price, Warren Mundine AO, Ian Conway and Bob Liddle OAM - and two former MHRs - Hon John Anderson AC and Hon Dr Gary Johns.

There are already attempts to divide and conquer over this issue with claims if you oppose The Voice you are racist. The makeup of this committee proves this is disgusting propaganda and just one of the things that will be said and done to try to tilt the playing field.

You can arrange to get updates from the Recognise committee by clicking here. You can also follow them on Twitter @RecogniseBetter and FaceBook Recognise a Better Way.

You should also forward their contact details to family, friends and colleagues and share their social media. They don’t have the big and important corporate and government friends the Yes case does, and the government won’t fund a No case, or allow donations to be tax-deducted, so Respect will need all the help it can get, and then some.

While the Respect a Better Way committee is urging a “No” vote, it is not negative, and has a positive three-point plan to recognise prior occupation and help those in need. You can read about the plan on their website.

As events in Alice Springs in the last weeks show there are difficult and intractable problems to be solved and I don’t believe that creating even more politicians will do anything to solve them.

I support those Aboriginal voices who have done the hard yards and been elected to parliament. They don’t need another group of Aborigines looking over their shoulders and telling them what to do.

The future for Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders has to be as equals, and the 11 elected to federal parliament are showing the way, and making Aboriginal voices heard.

Regards,

GRAHAM YOUNG
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR