A leading campaigner for the Yes vote has made an emotional plea for support for the Voice to parliament.
“This is our grand final,” Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy said in an appearance on ABC’s Q&A on Monday evening.
“This is our grand final between yes and no. This is the most generous request that is being put to the people of Australia.
“This is such a significant moment for us together as all Australians.”
Pressed by a member of the audience about whether the government would plough ahead and legislate a Voice if the No camp wins, Senator McCarthy said all she was focused on was winning the referendum.
“Nobody asked the Pies two weeks ago what are you going to do if you lose,” Senator McCarthy replied in reference to Collingwood’s nail biting AFL grand final win on Saturday.
“The best team won in that grand final by the way,” host and Magpies fan Patricia Karvelas quipped.
Senator McCarthy offered a scathing criticism of former Prime Minister John Howard, saying “people have forever remained traumatised” by the introduction of the Northern Territory Emergency Response in 2007.
The NTER was stated to be a response to protect Aboriginal children from sexual abuse and family violence, but it was harshly criticised by many and described as a racist piece of legislation in some quarters.
The Howard government also failed to consult Aboriginal people before launching the emergency intervention, according to Senator McCarthy,
“No one was asked from the Northern Territory, certainly no Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person (was asked) as to whether this would work for them,” she said before using the NTER as an example of the need for a Voice.
“Our people want to have that Voice enshrined in the constitution,” she said to applause from the Q&A audience.
Earlier in the program there had been a fiery clash between leading Yes campaigner Noel Pearson and Liberal Senator Dan Tehan.
Tehan, the opposition spokesman for Immigration and Citizenship, pressed the No case because he claimed it wasn’t clear how the Voice would operate once it was passed.
“Dan, I think you’re missing the point mate,” Mr Pearson shot back at him.
“You’ve got the power to legislate here,” Mr Pearson added, saying the referendum was to establish the presence of a Voice and it was then up to the politicians how they implemented it.
“It is true that you do have some powers as a parliamentarian to construct this thing right?” host Karvelas asked Mr Tehan.
“The constitution creates it and then the parliament legislates it.”
“But once it’s in the constitution it cannot be changed or to change it you have to go to a referendum,” Tehan responded.
“No that’s not true,” Karvelas replied.
“You can change the Voice, you wouldn’t be able to abolish it.”
The Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum is due to take place on October 14th.
According to a survey released by Q&A during the program, 52 per cent of people are planning to vote early.
The most recent polling shows the No campaign firmly ahead with less than 2 weeks to go.