The media storm circulating around comments made by prominent Yes campaigner, Professor Marcia Langton this week is truly mind boggling.
Langton is facing significant criticism after speaking at a forum in Bunbury, Western Australia on Sunday. During her keynote she suggested that “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”.
The Australian and The Bunbury Herald jumped on the attack in a bid to incite No voters. “How dare she?! The gall!”
In a bid to clarify, Langton says her words were taken out of context. She says she wasn’t branding No voters as “racist” or stupid, but directing criticism at the campaign itself.
But between all the mock outrage, no one seems willing to point out the glaring truth: That frankly, there is a huge degree of racism being employed by the No campaign. There has been for months.
Like for instance, the comments made by Australian Jewish Association head David Adler, who sits on the advisory board of top No outfit Advance with former prime minister Tony Abbott about Indigenous journalist Stan Grant and independent senator Lidia Thorpe in August.
Adler questioned Thorpe’s Aboriginal heritage and repeatedly suggested Grant had artificially darkened his skin.
Days after Grant stepped down as host of ABC’s Q&A following a spate of racist abuse in May, Adler posted pictures of the Wiradjuri man on social media that read: “STAN GRANT’S COMPLEXION SEEMS TO HAVE CHANGED”.
“Look at the 3 pics. Can anyone explain?”
In March, Adler posted the same image with the caption: “IS STAN GRANT DOING ‘BLACK FACE’? If so, why?”
Referring to Thorpe, Adler posted in March: “What % Aboriginal are you? You appear quite white. Not so sure she’s Blak (or Black).”
Those on the No side will be quick to point out that Adler is just one man. But let’s be clear: he’s one man illustrating a rampant issue. Adler’s brand of putrid racism is far from isolated. In fact, No campaign leader Nyunggai Warren Mundine revealed last month that, in quick succession, he pushed two people out of his referendum campaign over allegedly racist comments.
As voters, shouldn’t we be a bit discerning here? Shouldn’t we question why those with patently racist beliefs are so quick to jump on the No bandwagon?
More than that, earlier this year, a spokesperson for the eSafety Commissioner reported an increase of more than 10 per cent in complaints of abuse, threats and harassment being directed at Indigenous Australians online.
Dr Timothy Graham, a digital media lecturer has analysed 250,000 Voice-related posts. He put it bluntly when he told The BBC, “race is a prime vector for abuse, trolling, disinformation and conspiracy theorising and on the No side of the debate, Twitter [X] is rife with that”.
The Australian Associated Press’ FactCheck team – which has been hired to monitor content on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok backs Graham’s accounts, and has noticed the same level of racist vitriol on these platforms.
With more than 61 percent of Australians polled suggesting they’re backing the No vote, it’s obvious not all of them are racist. Not all of them are stupid. A LOT of them believe (fairly) that The Voice simply doesn’t go far enough. That Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people deserve more than an advisory board. I agree. But I also see The Voice as the first, very necessary step to reconciliation. 80 percent of First Nations voters share this perspective.
But for those campaigning No, with the rationale that this legislation is simply unfair, that Indigenous Australians don’t deserve this type of recognition and solidarity, that Australia has no wrongs to right with First Nations people, I’d suggest (with a heavy underscore) that latent racism is bubbling underneath.
Appearing on Nine’s Today on Wednesday morning, Nationals Senator Matt Canavan called for an end to “petty name-calling”.
“I think Australians are sick and tired of being called racist for having an opinion,” he said.
“It’s been happening quite a bit during this debate. Whatever Marcia’s particular explanations here I don’t think we need to resort to this kind of language. Let’s just attack the arguments. I haven’t seen Marcia come out and say, ‘Exactly what are you talking about? What are the issues?’ Rather than use labels to deny somebody. I would hope the Prime Minister comes out here and calls for respectful debate.”
The hypocrisy of Matt Canavan condemning Marcia Langton for divisive tactics is truly mind blowing.
A respectful debate would have been hugely appreciated and welcome. Heartbreakingly, for First Nations people, a respectful debate has never been par for the course.