Nine has been forced to apologise for publishing an advertisement for the “No” campaign for the Voice to Parliament, after it was condemned as racist and sexist.
The full page ad was published in the Australian Financial Review, depicting independent MP Kate Chaney sitting on her father, Michael Chaney’s knee as he hands money to Thomas Mayo, an Indigenous campaigner for the “Yes” vote.
Above the images are the words: “Don’t worry sweetheart, it’s just shareholders money”.
It describes Mayo as a “radical activist”, and also depicts Kate Chaney like a child, dressed in a teal coloured dress on her father’s lap. Michael Chaney is the chairman of Wesfarmers, a corporation that has been a significant donor to the “Yes” campaign for the Voice.
Both Kate Chaney and her father are vocal supporters of the “Yes” campaign.
The ad was taken out by Advance, the activist group behind Fair Australia, which has been running the “No” campaign ahead of the referendum.
“The political advertisement about the Voice referendum placed into today’s Financial Review should not have run and we apologise for that,” a spokesperson for Nine said.
” We want to encourage a mature debate from both sides and avoid personal and/or inappropriate attacks.”
Kate Chaney released a statement saying she was disappointed to see the ad.
“It’s disappointing to see the No campaign stooping to personal and racist attacks when Australians are more interested in learning the facts about the Voice and how it can contribute to Closing the Gap,” Ms Chaney said in a statement.
“Ultimately, I think people will vote in the referendum based on what is fair and useful, not based on fear and hate.”
Former Liberal Treasurer of NSW, Matt Kean also condemned the ad, writing: “The racist trope of Thomas Mayo in today’s full page AFR ad has no place in Australian politics. It’s a throwback to the Jim Crow era of the Deep South. The No Campaign has every right to be heard but can do much better than this.”
Minsiter for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney addressed the National Press Club on Wednesday, and warned that the “No” campaign for the Voice was attempting to use Trump-style attacks to sow doubt and division about the Voice.
“Do not let the No campaign get their way with using Trump-style politics in Australia,” Burney said. “Do not let them divide us. The proposed change is constitutionally sound and legally safe.”