THE AUSTRALIAN
Tuesday, September 12, 2023 Today’s Paper Mind Games
Claims made by No voice case based on racism, stupidity: Marcia Langton
- By JOE KELLY
NATIONAL AFFAIRS EDITOR
and ROSIE LEWIS
POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT
Indigenous leader Marcia Langton says No campaigners in the voice referendum are using racist tactics but she doesn’t believe the majority of Australians are racist, after comments she made at the weekend sparked outrage.
The Bunbury Herald reported on Tuesday that Professor Langton told a forum on Sunday: “Every time the No cases raise their arguments, if you start pulling it apart you get down to base racism – I’m sorry to say that’s where it lands – or sheer stupidity.
Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley demanded Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney condemn the comments, which she said “accused No voters of opposing the referendum because of ‘base racism … or sheer stupidity’, but Professor Langton told Nine newspapers she was not calling No voters racist and stupid.
| THEAUSTRALIAN.COM.AU00:32 Marcia Langton accuses No campaign of racism and stupidity |
Professor Langton’s comments at a forum on Sunday against the No campaign’s argument has sparked outrage.
“I’m saying the claims being made by the No case are based in racism and stupidity – and appeal to racism and stupidity,” Professor Langton told Nine.
“And they are appealing to Australians to frighten them into adopting highly racist and stupid beliefs.
“I am not a racist, and I don’t believe that the majority of Australians are racist. I do believe that the no campaigners are using racist tactics.”
READ MORE: ‘Vote ‘No’ and you won’t get welcome to country’ | Langton’s fear of a bleak future | Six reasons to read the fine print on the voice | MPs admit Yes vote on shaky ground | Voice design ‘can be refined’: Pearson
The Australian has obtained a recording of the forum, in which Professor Langton says: “Every time the No case raises one of their arguments, if you start pulling it apart you get down to base racism – I’m sorry to say that’s where it lands – or sheer just stupidity.”
The Bunbury Herald reported that the forum was attended by a crowd of about 100 people at the ECU South West campus and that Professor Langton was joined by Labor state MP, Don Punch.
ECU has informed The Australian that the voice referendum open forum held at the university’s South West campus on Sunday was not an ECU event.
The Australian has been told it was instead co-ordinated by Mr Punch’s office.
Opposition Indigenous Australians spokeswoman Jacinta Price – a leading campaigner for the No case – said the comments provided an “insight into the mindset and agenda of the Aboriginal activists pushing the divisive voice.”
She warned the remarks from Professor Langton would be highly offensive to about half the nation.
“Whichever way the referendum goes, the result looks like it will be extremely close and any suggestion no voters who are unpersuaded by their proposed voice are siding with racism or stupidity is highly offensive to at least half the country.”
The front page of the Bunbury Herald.
The comments from Professor Langton clashed with Noel Pearson who told ABC radio in Hobart on Tuesday that it was imperative to answer questions from opponents of the voice with “respect” in a bid to win over undecided and soft No voters.
“There’s a great swag of Australians who still are undecided or soft in their No or soft in their Yes,” Mr Pearson said. “I’m finding that as long as we treat their questions and concerns with respect and we attend the outstanding questions they have in their minds I find that people are willing to listen to the answers and people are willing to contemplate changing their position once they have a greater understanding, a clear understanding of what we’re doing with this referendum. So, it’s ours to win.”
But Mr Pearson also said the referendum would be “a test of our democracy, because the real question, I think the big question is, can hope and belief and optimism triumph over fear and anger?”
“You know, that’s a real question for us in this social media age, in the modern democratic age, can a campaign of positivity for the future prevail against a headwind, an absolute raging storm of fear and anger.”
NATIONAL AFFAIRS EDITOR
Joe Kelly is the National Affairs Editor. He joined The Australian in 2008 and since 2010 has worked in the parliamentary press gallery, most recently as Canberra Bureau chief…. Read more
POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT
Rosie Lewis is The Australian’s Political Correspondent. She began her career at the paper in Sydney in 2011 as a video journalist and has been in the federal parliamentary press gallery since 2014. Lewis made her … Read more
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