Assuming we go to the polls in mid-October to decide yes or no to enshrining an Indigenous voice to parliament in the constitution, there are about 16 weeks of campaigning ahead.
Sixteen weeks of opinions, debate, discussion, misleading commentary and ridiculous memes to go. And, possibly a culture war or two. In the middle, 881,600 (approximately) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people whose lives have once again become a very public political football.
In parliament this week, members of the Coalition – including deputy leader Sussan Ley and shadow attorney general Michaelia Cash, both former ministers who received cabinet briefings about a voice report commissioned by their own government – asked the Indigenous Australians minister Linda Burney no fewer than 20 questions across three days about the Indigenous voice.
“Twenty questions and not one straight answer,” opposition leader Peter Dutton said on Thursday.
But the questions weren’t exactly straight, either. Will the voice have the power to abolish public holidays? Could it interfere with link roads in Melbourne? Could it direct the operation of military bases? Will it influence the Reserve Bank? What about interest rates? Taxation policy?
“I can tell you what the voice will not be giving advice on. It won’t be giving advice on parking tickets. It won’t be giving advice on changing Australia Day,” the minister said on Tuesday. “It will not be giving advice on all of the ridiculous things that that side has come up with.”
On Wednesday: “This is not about culture wars, this is about closing the gap.”
On Thursday: “The Voice will be an independent representative advisory body made up of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. It will be chosen by local communities. It will give independent advice. It will allow local voices to be heard. It will be gender balanced and include young people. It will be accountable and transparent. It will cooperate with existing structures. It won’t deliver programs.”
There was no shortage of speechifying. Barnaby Joyce quoted Euripides in accusing the government of hubristic overreach. Malcolm Roberts, with an interesting interpretation of historical facts, called the voice “the most divisive government initiative since the Vietnam war”.
At the other end of the spectrum, the voice was rejected by the Blak sovereign movement, spearheaded by independent senator Lidia Thorpe, as a powerless, “gammin” (fake) advisory body that would permanently cede sovereignty, worth less than a blanket and some beads.
Surely it can’t be both.
So much for the respectful debate that was called for as the bill passed the Senate on Monday, officially kickstarting the campaign. So much for leaving the Canberra bubble and taking the conversation to the Australian people, who the yes campaigners say can be “counted on to do the right thing” when the time comes. Just don’t look to parliament for information to help you decide what the right thing might be.
Despite those hopes it’s been another bruising week on the voice, especially for those of us stuck in the middle. But parliament will not sit again until 31 July, and then there are only four sitting weeks left until October, assuming the vote will happen then.
Campaigners are hopeful this will give them some fresh air between the vitriol in the house, and the unifying and inclusive conversations they say they are looking forward to having with people in the community.
The prime minister was making fun of it all on Wednesday night. According to my colleague Amy Remeikis, the PM jokingly welcomed everyone to enjoy the last midwinter ball “before it gets cancelled by the voice”. As the laughs subsided, Albanese suggested that “wasn’t the silliest thing” that had been said about the voice this week.
There are 16 weeks – hopefully – until the referendum is held.
