Indigenous academic and advocate Marcia Langton condemned the No campaign’s “deliberate” and “racist” tactics to diminish her, amid debates on the upcoming Voice to Parliament referendum.
As a prominent figure in the Yes campaign in the Voice the Parliament, Langton alleged the media “misquoted” her at a referendum event at Edith Cowan University on Sunday.
“The media reporting is a very deliberate tactic to make me look like a racist when I am not,” Langton told Nine newspapers on Tuesday.
“I am not racist, and I don’t believe that the majority of Australians are racist. I do believe that the No campaigners are using racist tactics.”
The video of Langton speaking at the referendum event has been shared by the conservative lobby groups Advance and Fair Australia.
“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 it but that’s where it lands, or just sheer stupidity.”
Meanwhile, the quotes, which Liberal opposition leader Peter Dutton shared on his social media, were framed in The Bunbury Herald and later reported in Murdoch’s masthead The Australian to appear as an attack on No voters.
“Racist of stupid: voice author slams the No campaign,” The Bunbury Herald’s headline read.
“Langton brands No voters ‘racist, stupid’,” was The Australian’s headline.
Langton confirmed with Nine newspapers that her comments were specifically related to the No campaign, and not Australians who will be voting No in the upcoming referendum.
“I’m saying the claims being made by the No case are based in racism and stupidity – and appeal to racism and stupidity,” Langton said to Nine newspapers.
“And they are appealing to Australains to frighten them into adopting highly racist and stupid beliefs.
“I did not say what The Australian and The Bunbury Herald are reporting.”
While the article in The Australian was later updated to clarify that Langton’s comments were specifically related to No campaigners, rather than No voters, representatives from the No campaign continue to spread the latter.
The video of Langton’s comments posted on Fair Australia’s Instagram account is captioned: “Here’s what Voice author Marcia Langton thinks about Australians voting No.”
On his Instagram account, opposition leader Peter Dutton posted a graphic on Tuesday afternoon with an image of prime minister Anthony Albanese and Marcia Langton, as well as The Australian’s original headline directly above Langton: “No voters branded ‘racist, stupid’ by prominent voice campaigner Marcia Langton.”
The referendum for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament will take place on October 14, with official campaigns beginning two weeks ago.
Recent polling by RedBridge released on Saturday showed 61 per cent of Australians are against the Voice, while 39 per cent support it.