Australia's highest-profile Indigenous 'no' campaigner has touched down in Orange. She says the Voice to Parliament debate is "distracting from real issues" and not supported by town Elders.
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Speaking from Robertson Park on Monday, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians Jacinta Nampijinpa Price described the upcoming referendum as divisive, distracting, vague, overly bureaucratic and without grassroots support.
The Northern Territory Senator was joined by National Party leader David Littleproud and Bathurst-based NSW MLC Sam Farraway. The trio said they would be able to curb many of the challenges Indigenous people face if in government.
"Some of the Elders that we had the opportunity to speak directly to today have outlined the fact they do not support the [Voice] ... individuals at the grassroots are telling us: 'No, we don't support this proposal'," Senator Price said.
"I've spoken to a number of local Elders and they've spoken about issues ... employment is a huge issue because they see employment as a way for people to be empowered personally, to support their families, to ensure that their kids are going to school.
"They want to see more community driven, more inclusive ways forward. They ... believe those of us sitting in parliament should actually listen to individuals and not just bureaucracies that are set up to get to gain a greater picture of what those issues are on the ground.
"Another point that was made today by Elders was the fact that they support recognition in our Constitution, but they don't support the Voice. They are unhappy at the fact that the Voice has been latched on to recognition."
Senator Price would not say which Elders she had spoken to. The Central Western Daily has reached out to community leaders for comment.
Deputy Mayor Gerald Power has spearheaded the push for Orange City Council to endorse a Voice to Parliament. He was at the Monday meeting with Senator Price and strongly contested claims of widespread disapproval among Indigenous residents.
"There were only three at the meeting, that was it ... she didn't even acknowledge me," Councillor Power told the Central Western Daily.
"How can she say that and have that sort of commentary when she only speaks with that many people?
"Council actually helped them spread the word and they only got a handful of people - not even a handful. For her to say that, that's a bit of untruth again and misinformation."
National polling has consistently suggested a sizable majority of Indigenous Australians do support a Voice to Parliament. Recent figures compiled by ACM - the owner of this masthead - show overall regional support has fallen well below 50 per cent.
If successful, the upcoming Voice to Parliament referendum would enshrine constitutional recognition for Indigenous Australians and establish a body to advise the federal parliament on Aboriginal affairs.
Proponents say this will advance national reconciliation and improve efforts to tackle indigenous issues by providing a direct line of communication between communities and legislators.
Sceptics primarily argue the Voice would be a top-heavy bureaucratic body unable to effectively represent people "on the ground." Its potential influence over executive government has also been flagged.
Senator Price said instead of pushing for constitutional change, the national government should focus on increasing efficiency in existing Indigenous programs.
"We should be focusing on ensuring that we're supporting efforts that are producing outcomes, but not sidestepping things with a referendum and being told that this is the be all and end all. We know that it'll become a mechanism certainly for governments to handball hard issues," she said.
"One thing I find unfortunate is the fact that we have to talk about this referendum, which is distracting from the real issues on the ground.
"There are people on the grassroots level and they already have answers to a lot of the problems that they currently face, but they feel like they're not being heard because this voice referendum is actually consuming all the attention.
"If I was responsible with the portfolio in government for Indigenous Australians I would conduct a forensic audit of the $33 billion that is spent year in year out on advancing Indigenous Australians to understand who's doing it successfully works successfully.
"Where it's not being successful and hold to account those who have misspent those funds, because ultimately, that's what we haven't done."
David Littlepround said he believes his constitutes would not be well served by an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
"We've been here to talk to our Elders across the Central West. To hear their stories, to hear their challenges, their aspirations, and also talk about the decision of Australians in October around a Voice to Parliament and the practical changes that would make to these people," he said.
"To be candid, we haven't heard anything and that's why the Nationals took a principled position some nine months ago to oppose the Voice.
"If this was just about constitutional recognition, then the Nationals would be constructive and proactive in supporting that Proposition. The proposition being put forward to the Australian people is repeating the mistakes of the past.
"We in rural and remote Australia still live with the consequences for the failures of where the gap hasn't closed, which is invariably in the communities that we represent and live in."
Orange City Council voted to endorse the 'yes' campaign in 2022. Staff resources will be engaged to support the campaign but no significant costs to ratepayers are expected.
Deputy mayor Gerald Power - who was not recognised as an Australian citizen when born in 1961 - spearheaded the push.
"I never thought we'd have a chance in my lifetime to include us as first nation people in the constitution ... It will affect all Indigenous people of this amazing nation, including around here in Orange," he told the Central Western Daily at the time.
Last year Member for Calare Andrew Gee reported his decision to quit the National Party was partially driven by its opposition to a Voice to Parliament.
A host of Federal politicians met at the Orange Civic Centre in April, 2023 to consult with Indigenous Elders as part of the consultation process to finalise wording.
The 'Voice' was proposed by Indigenous leaders in 2018 as part of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
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