HomeIf you don't know, ???
For future reference: This post relates to the 2023 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice Referendum
I'm not 100% certain a referendum is the best way of handling the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.
There are important issues involved, and they need resolving, but lazy me would would be perfectly happy if the matter was handled by the peeps we employ in the ACT.
Had the government quietly negotiated a Voice-type body via legislation, would've anyone noticed?
We're told indigenous Australians want the Voice to be constitutionally enshrined.
Sigh. Ok, referendum it is.
Unfortunately, this means it's no longer an (effectively ignorable) arms-length decision delegated to representatives in far-away Canberraland.
A referendum requires citizens to step up, take it seriously, and assume personal responsibility for the result.
To me, this means (at a minimum) making a good faith effort to understand the issues.
I've found this to be surprisingly difficult.
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Early in the piece the Yes camp decided on a "Vote the vibe" strategy. This meant explicitly not providing the type of information people like me want.
You can't please everyone, and campaign number crunchers evidently decided that I wasn't worth pleasing.
The polls now don't look brilliant 📉. Maybe the number crunchers got it wrong. Fewer than expected seem to be feeling the "Vibe".
Wrongly or rightly, Yes supporters are pointing fingers at the opposition's "If you don't know, VOTE NO" tactic.
They have responded with "If you don't know, FIND OUT".
Lamentably, when your entire strategy has been based on NOT providing any detail, it is awfully tough (at the last minute) to generate a cohesive and comprehensive strategy to allow people to "find out".
It's even harder when you refuse to acknowledge the validity of the questions being asked. 🤦
Following the Yes camp's advice currently lands you back where you started. 😖
Hmmmmm. 🥺
With-or-without help from the Yes camp, it's incumbent on all of us to try to seek a path to 'Yes'.
It may not be possible. That's a personal judgement individuals must make.
It is not about the Yes camp, or the No camp.
It's about Australia.
And here's a thought:
If everyone takes their vote seriously and personally, perhaps they too will embrace learning more about indigenous Australia.
The referendum result might not actually be the main game.
Sometimes it's the journey that matters, not the destination. 🤷♂️
Edit 2023-09-12
Some useful links courtesy of 𝕏
- 7 rules for a respectful and worthwhile Voice referendum
- Voice Legal Literacy Project
- Constitutional Clarion YouTube Channel