We are in the final weeks of the campaigns for the referendum on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
In just 11 days, Australians will take to the voting booths to decide whether or not we will give our country’s first peoples a seat at the table on matters that affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities directly.
Right now, it’s a matter of which campaign tactic will be more effective. Will Aussies follow the leader, or follow the pack?
Many recognisable faces have appeared on our TVs and social media feeds, standing up in solidarity with the Uluru Statement From The Heart and the Yes campaign for the Voice to Parliament.
The most recent was Nathan Cleary, co-captain and star half-back of the Penrith Panthers, who won the men’s NRL Grand Final over the weekend.
It’s a Yes from @_nathancleary pic.twitter.com/emHieyGVMn
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) October 2, 2023
“No Voice, no choice,” he said in a TikTok video, which was re-posted by prime minister Anthony Albanese on X (Twitter).
“Come on Australia, vote Yes.”
Cleary, a role model for thousands of football fans, is not the first sporting legend to stake his position on this national debate. Two weeks ago, Cathy Freeman announced she will be voting Yes on October 14. Patty Mills, Adam Goodes, Buddy Franklin, Evonne Goolagong Cawley – to name a few – have all done the same.
Legends in the Australian music scene, famous names and faces that almost everyone knows, are also using their platform to promote the Yes campaign for the referendum. Midnight Oil’s frontman Peter Garrett, singer-songwriters Missy Higgins and Josh Pyke all performed at various Yes rallies around the country and continue to show their support for an Indigenous Voice in Parliament.
What is the benefit of famous faces declaring their position? Others will follow. These sporting legends, music icons and other high-profile Australians who are openly voting Yes in the upcoming referendum are likely to garner support from Aussies who know their songs or barrack for their footy club. People are likely to follow a leader, no matter what space they come from.
But there’s an equally effective tactic at play from the No campaign. Here, there’s no leader to follow, no famous face to recognise. This campaign is based on pack mentality.
Following a group is safe. You’re not outspoken, you don’t stand out – you lie in the safety of the excuse that “everyone is doing it”. The security of hiding in a faceless crowd is enticing for some.
Instead of promoting popular names and faces, the No campaign against the referendum rely on echo chambers on social media generating pack mentality. There are invisible faces and silent voices who are also voting No, so maybe you should too.
It’s a tactic that is just as effective as promoting a leader to follow, clearly. Latest polling from The Guardian shows 49 per cent will vote No, while 43 per cent intend to vote yes.
But for the 8 per cent that are still unsure, and for others who are looking to be more informed before voting day, think about why these famous faces are openly voting Yes.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t care for sport, or if you’re not that into Midnight Oil’s music. These are Australians with high profiles and they’re using their platforms asking you to vote Yes.
Do not follow a pack for the sake of it. And if you’re not all that keen on following a leader, start by reading the Uluru Statement From The Heart. Read, watch videos, get informed, and follow your gut.