to THE AUSTRALIAN
Mark Leibler claims (‘Voice of the people spurned’, 31/10) that the Government’s decision to reject the proposed indigenous ‘voice’ in Parliament has deprived Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders of ‘a form of recognition that might make a difference to their lives.’ How? What difference? What change that cannot be made by avoiding risky tampering with the Constitution? It’s too vague!
So what if ‘more than 1000 First Nations people’ participated in the Uluru process? That is a miniscule number out of the whole body of the nation. It is not even clear to what extent those attendees truly represented the opinions of other indigenous Australians. Nor is it certain that the ‘voice’ would not have become a de facto ‘third chamber’ of Parliament, one that might receive greater powers under some future ALP government.
The Government’s decision has protected the integrity of the nation. We want no Catalonian division here.
NJ, Belgrave, Vic.