The Yes Campaign Continues to Divide Us

Prominent Yes Campaigner Noel Pearson, an Indigenous Australian lawyer and land rights activist, gave a speech to the National Press Club last week. When asked by an SBS journalist about how the Yes campaign is resonating with culturally and linguistically diverse Australians knowing that many come from countries where democracy has been so fragile, and that perhaps the Yes vote will undermine the status quo, Pearson replied with a somewhat illuminating comment about people’s colour not matching their opinions. He said:

“I say to Multicultural communities in the campaign that I’m involved in around the country, I say to them, listen, where do you fit into Australia? It’s a bit unclear. Are you with the mob from the UK? Are you kind of honorary settlers? Because, some of you are the wrong colour… or you don’t come from northern Europe. You come from Africa, you come from Asia, you come from South America, you come from all over the joint. You come from China. I say to them, where do you fit in Australia? Because we can move to an Australia where the Indigenous, the British descendants, and the Multicultural mob become one.”

Yes, Mr Pearson sees us, and perhaps encourages us to be a divided nation based on our ethnicity. This is Noel Pearson’s game.

Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton responded, “It’s a confused campaign the Yes activists are running at the moment. It started with people like Alan Joyce and others dictating to Australians as to how they should vote. Now you’ve got leading people in the Yes campaign like Noel Pearson talking about our country being segregated, and different people being worth different amounts depending on when they came here. I don’t understand the logic behind it.”

I think I understand their logic. They want this. They want us divided. It furthers their perverse goals.

Every polling firm, no matter what their affiliation, has found that the Yes vote is sliding dramatically. To pass, the Australian Constitution requires the proposed amendment to attain a double majority in the referendum, that is, a majority of votes nationwide, and a majority in at least four of the six states. It’s just not going to happen based on recent polling without some sort of intervention, divine or otherwise.

Even Prime Minister Albanese has essentially accepted that this is not going to pass. He recently told the Guardian that the referendum is worthwhile even if it is rejected by voters, because it has succeeded in bringing Indigenous disadvantage front and centre.

Mr Dutton responded, “The Prime Minister says that now it doesn’t matter whether it’s Yes or No, it’s been a worthwhile exercise. It’s cost half a billion dollars! And it’s dividing our country.”

So we’ve got Marcia Langton, another highly paid activist, who famously said, “Every time the No case raises one of their arguments, you get down to base racism… Or, just sheer stupidity.” We’ve got Noel Pearson essentially telling multicultural people that if they support the No case they’re the “wrong colour”. Not to mention that Mr Pearson said some choice words regarding No campaigner and Indigenous Senator Jacinta Price. He said, “Jacinta Price is trapped in a redneck celebrity vortex and being used by right-wing think tanks to punch down on other black fellas”. Links to these statements below.

Actually, I think this whole campaign has been worthwhile, because it’s made it abundantly clear to Australians what these people are all about. They’re about division. That’s what they want. They want Indigenous Australians to continue to think that they are victims. It keeps these people relevant. They’re intelligent people, don’t get me wrong, so that makes me tend to think that they know exactly what they are doing. They’ve got power, and they don’t want to give it up.

NOEL PEARSON CONTROVERSIAL COMMENTS NATIONAL PRESS CLUB
https://www.youtube.com/live/5aDiWiDOU7g?si=IcFCq5AT3vD1KJ0E&t=2544

ANTHONY ALBANESE SAYS VOICE REFERENDUM WORTHWHILE EVEN IF REJECTED BY VOTERS
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/sep/27/anthony-albanese-says-voice-referendum-worthwhile-even-if-rejected-by-voters

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