Letters and short takes October 10 2023

A 'no'-voting neighbour who once visited the outback says they don't even pick up rubbish and Coke cans around their place, but was miffed when I said they don't have a $450,000 garbage truck that comes each week as she does. They would if they still lived here where she does except they were sent to Coventry by the Crown and she now lives on their land, but she will still vote 'no'. Some people simply amaze me.

One of my mates, now in his 50s, is a former first grade rugby league player. He is a role model to so many kids in his community. After a particularly tough run with work and in his personal life, I could see he needed a chat. I can't shake the frustration he expressed when he exclaimed "he was sick to death" of being judged by the colour of his skin. Nothing he will ever do will be good enough because he is 'black'".

I believe in equality. I wish everyone in this country saw each other as equal no matter their heritage. Nobody should ever feel like my mate. The very idea of suggesting we should judge people based on race in this country, like what I believe is being suggested by The Voice to Parliament, goes against everything I believe in. I believe it will make things harder, not easier, for my Aboriginal mates. I can't believe anyone could be so ignorant as to propose such a divisive policy in 2023. Let alone think about voting 'yes'.

THE referendum for the Voice is causing division in our country, say others, and tell the history to suit their bias requirements. Get real. You must be joking. Historically the British Empire and Australian society was founded on racism, pillaging, murder and genocide. Australian history is littered with the dead. Just ask the living original inhabitants of this continent, who are trying to awake from the nightmare of the past.

The ghosts of the British Empire and its foreign ways still live in the genes of our living black brothers and sisters. A 'yes' vote may be the vaccine to correct in part the sorry history of this country.

REGARDING the referendum this weekend, I note that many people are at pains to differentiate the 'yes' and 'no' cases. Politically speaking, clearly both sides support constitutional recognition; both sides want to help close the gap; both sides support a Voice for Indigenous Australians.

The essential difference in their positions is that one side does not want that Voice embedded in the Constitution, where its existence cannot be easily extinguished, as it has been in the past.

The red herrings and straw men will continue to be put up by some because they continue to distract many from the fundamentals of the debate. Substantial and powerful legal opinion affirms the procedural safety of constitutional recognition. Conclusive data verifying Aboriginal disadvantage is well known: shorter life expectancy, higher rates of infant mortality, poorer health, lower levels of education and employment.

A 'no' vote achieves 'no'-thing. The status quo simply means more of the same appalling outcomes for our first peoples.

'EVERY dog has its day' read the slogan emblazoned on the t-shirt of the lone opponent to the crowd of 'yes' supporters gathered at Nobbys during a rally on a recent Friday afternoon. In my opinion the moral bankruptcy of the 'no' campaign was clearly demonstrated by the tactics of this single activist.

Rather than engage in meaningful debate of the facts surrounding the referendum, he equipped himself with a loud hailer and set out to prevent the hundreds gathered in their democratic activity. The fact that onlooking police took no preventive action indicated that this person was legally entitled to cause disruption. But I think it also indicates that the 'no' campaign has no demonstrable case to oppose the referendum.

WHILE "Airborne Albo" has spent plenty flying all over the world since becoming Prime Minister, this expenditure surely pales into insignificance compared with the hundreds of millions of dollars that must have been spent on his obsession with the referendum and pushing the 'yes' vote, which I believe will be a failure anyway.

IT appears that Saturday's Voice referendum result is running true to form, as predicted in a paraphrased quote: you should always put your money on self-interest, as it is the best horse in the race.

I THINK if you don't know, vote 'yes' for respect. No harm done and everyone's a winner.

TELL me I'm dreaming, and I probably am, but Andrew Spanneburg, of Mayfield, gave me a great moment at the weekend. Andrew wrote ("PMI a plus for critical comparison", Letters 7/10) that Edward De Bono's system might be useful when deciding on a response to the referendum. Many years ago I worked with children using the PMI (plus-minus-interesting) principle, and used it myself to my advantage. I like to think that maybe I had an ever so slight an influence - maybe even on Andrew in Mayfield. It cheers an old school teacher's heart. Incidentally I too used this method regarding the referendum, but I already knew I would be voting 'yes'.

CAN NBN news start to deliver all local news at the beginning of the news rather than having to listen to international, national, state news, all jumbled around. I much prefer to know about local news than the crap that is happening in America. Please have a think about it.

CLIVE Jensen ("Don't change constitution", Letters 9/10), last week the United Nations Special Procedures committee urged support for an Indigenous Voice in Australia. So many other countries already have similar bodies.