Yes and no Voice campaigns ramping up ahead of referendum announcement

ANTHONY ALBANESE RUN FOR THE YES

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese poses for a photograph whilst awaiting the arrival of Pat Farmer on his Run for the Voice campaign at the Sydney Opera House, in Sydney, Tuesday, August 22, 2023. (AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi) NO ARCHIVING Source: AAP / BIANCA DE MARCHI/AAPIMAGE

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The date for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum is to be confirmed soon. Ahead of that announcement, campaigning has ramped up on both sides.


There's potentially less than two months to go until the referendum on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, which has to be held sometime in October or November.

No date has yet been announced - but both sides are gearing up for the vote.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has continued to back the yes case, arguing the Voice to Parliament referendum is about recognition and better outcomes for Indigenous Australians.

"This is a positive campaign. It's a positive campaign for Yes, and that compares with the No campaign which is really about everything except for what the question is. They want all these distractions. It's a very clear question. People should read what the question is, to recognise First Nations people through a Voice. The clauses which are there are legally sound. They will not interfere with the way that the government operates on a day-to-day basis."

Marathon runner and former Liberal M-P Pat Farmer has just arrived in Sydney on a Run for the Voice tour.

Mr Farmer says he is running 14,000 kilometres around the country to encourage other Australians to support the Voice.

"As they say, the most precious commodity on this earth is time. And that's why I felt it was important that I dedicate six and a half months of my life in actions rather than words, to show the Australian people how much I cared about the future of this nation as a patriot, and how much I cared about the future of this nation as one nation moving forward together with the First Nations people, Indigenous people of this country."

Yes23 Director and Referendum Working Group member Thomas Mayo says he's also been busy on the campaign trail.

"I'm feeling very confident. We've got 1000 volunteers here just in the ACT now, and that's reflected across the country with over 30,000 volunteers. People are getting on board being part of making history. We're not taking any state for granted. We're working all over the place. I've just come from the Hunter region, doing a tour of town halls there. I've done Central Queensland and similar in all places. Great turnouts, lots of new volunteers signing up, people going from undecided to yes."

The No side has also been ramping up efforts to make their case, launching state-based campaigns across the country.

Nationals Leader David Littleproud says he believes the referendum will be decided by "Middle Australia".

"This whole referendum will be determined by the sensible centre, by the middle Austr alia that is sitting there wanting to understand the issue. And this sort of emotional, irrational narrative that is coming out of some people's mouths - and name calling - since this debate started, doesn't advance anyone's cause or help them in their side. This is where the Australian people, the sensible centre, the sensible Australians will want to make the determination predicated on an intellectual debate."

Speakers at the conservative political conference CPAC, organised by No Campaign leader Warren Mundine, have also supported the no case.

But the comments by comedian Rodney Marks have sparked controversy, after he referred to Indigenous people as "traditional rent-seekers" and "violent black men" in his speech at the conference, which was later defended by CPAC Australia.

Former Federal Labor Minister turned President of No group Recognise a Better Way, Gary Johns, has also attracted attention with his conference remarks, telling the gathering that some people in Indigenous communities lived in a "stupor" and that they should "learn English".

Mr Littleproud says those comments are out of line.

But he says the conference is not a Nationals Party event, despite some of his colleagues attending and Nationals shadow minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price giving a speech at the event.

"It's inappropriate. I mean, I don't see how that advances any cause whatsoever. I mean the Nationals have tried to create an environment for an intellectual conversation about the Voice. No matter whether you philosophically believe in our point of view or not, our job as political leaders, as representatives, is to create the right environment for that, and I'm proud of what we've done so far."

In the meantime, the Australian Electoral Commission has continued to prepare for the referendum.

It's launched a campaign called Your Answers Matter, which covers why referendums are held and how ballot papers are filled out.

AEC Commissioner Tom Rogers says many voters might not be familiar with the process because Australia's most recent referendum was held in 1999.

Mr Rogers has told the ABC there's some untrue information circulating that the Commission is keen to dispel.

"I think it's the highest level of myths and disinformation we've seen online, and this includes at the last election by the way, not just for this referendum. It really does seem to be on the increase. To contextualise - again, most Australians do the right thing, the vast majority do the right thing. It's a small number. And some of it is genuinely a misunderstanding, but some of it is deliberate and some of it is bonkers. So it's sad."

The electoral commission has finalised the printing of more than 13 million pamphlets outlining the 'yes' and 'no' case for the referendum.

They will be sent out to households before voting begins.

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