After the Voice Defeat: A “Week of Silence” … Can’t Argue with That! By Paul Walker
So, after the Voice defeat we are going to witness a week of silence, a symbolic mourning and grieving by the Yes side of the Voice referendum. It is not just those indigenous activists who supported the Voice, but apparently the prime minister as well is going to button his lip. We will see if he can do this; my bet is that he will speak, then say, no, the time of silence has not yet started. Then he speaks again, to play the blame game, and will reset the clock of guilt once more. Forever, or until he loses in a leadership challenge.
The claim that the No vote was a rejection of reconciliation is nonsense, since the referendum as never about that, with the issue of reconciliation being way down the list. And I would argue, that the entire idea of reconciliation should be rejected for the historical absurdity that it is:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Fabrication-Aboriginal-History-Diemens-1803-1847/dp/1876492058
It is about accepting the black arm band view of history in the Uluru Statement, which is false. Indigenous disadvantage is not dealt with by playing to ideologies of Leftist in comfortable university positions, but by addressing issues at the grass roots, like adequate schooling and clean water. The $ 450, 000 + wasted in the referendum could have done much to help disadvantaged outback communities instead of making inner city elites striving for the moral high ground feel superior to the rest of us.
“Indigenous Australians who supported the Voice Referendum have initiated a “week of silence” from tonight to “grieve this outcome and reflect on its meaning and significance”.
In a joint statement issue shortly after the referendum result was announced, they said Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags would be lowered to half-mast, and asked other flags “to do the same”.
“Now is no the time to dissect the reasons for this tragic outcome,” it said.
“This will be done in the weeks, years and decades to come. now is the time for silence, to mourn and deeply consider the consequence of this outcome.”
While they promised to “not rest long,” the letter said they would “re-gather our strength and resolve,” and determine a “new direction for justice and our rights”.
“To our people we say: Do not shed tears. This rejection was never for others to issue. The truth is that rejection was always ours to determine,” it read.
“The truth is that we offered this recognition and it has been refused. We now know where we stand in this our own country.”
PRICE: ‘NEW ERA IN INDIGENOUS POLICY’
Addressing media, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the result did not divide Australians.
He thanked Jacinta Price and Warren Mundine and said: “no-one is owed more gratitude than each of these individuals”.
He said all Australians wanted to see disadvantage among Indigenous Australians addressed, however the referendum result was clear they “disagreed” on the solution.
“All of us know people who have voted yes and people who voted no, but to those of you who voted yes, let me say these few words,” he said.
“As the leader of the Coalition, who has supported the no campaign, while I disagree with your position, I respect your decision to have voted yes.”
Country Liberal Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price said it was “time for a new era in Indigenous policy and the Indigenous narrative”.
“We need to step away from grievance. Attempting to bring about change through grievance is evidently got us nowhere,” she said.
“It is time to accept that we are all part of the fabric of this nation, that Indigenous Australians are also Australian citizens.”
Later in a joint press conference with fellow no-campaigner Warren Mundine, Ms Price said the referendum demonstated “inner city elites” did not know “what the rest of Australia is thinking”.
“Perhaps it’s time you listened. That’s what this has told us,” she said.
Mr Mundine said the referendum should have “never, ever happened”.
“The millions of dollars that were spent hundreds of millions of dollars that could work and help Aboriginal people and communities. You know, it was built on a lie,” he said.
“We want to move forward and bring everyone together, you know, go out and have a beer and lots of beers if I have to sit down and have conversations with the other side to get the result that we need to have.””
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