Chief Minister accused of pushing 'personal crusade' for highest Yes vote on Voice to Parliament

The Chief Minister has been accused of ignoring local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices and using the creation of a community information campaign on the Voice to Parliament to push his own agenda for the ACT to deliver the highest ‘Yes’ vote in the country.

Andrew Barr introduced the motion on Wednesday (8 February) – which he foreshadowed in his Ministerial Statement at the start of the sitting week – that the ACT Government would develop a community awareness campaign about the upcoming referendum on a constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament (the Voice).

He said this built on all state and territory leaders unanimously supporting the Voice at last Friday’s National Cabinet. He disagreed that he had moved this motion without consulting local Indigenous peoples.

Mr Barr argued there had actually been “six years of consultation” on this matter.

“Minister Stephen-Smith, in every meeting with the elected body … has talked about the Voice, so literally hundreds of meetings and engagement,” Mr Barr said.

“I don’t think there is any doubt on this matter, and in fact, what the Opposition leader was seeking to do was to say that six years of engagement, hundreds and hundreds of meetings, including Canberra-specific engagement … all of that was entirely disregarded.”

First Ministers have signed a commitment to support the Voice to Parliament.

The Voice will recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our constitution, and consult on matters affecting them. pic.twitter.com/N5tEsyANBM

— Andrew Barr MLA (@ABarrMLA) February 3, 2023

Mr Barr acknowledged while not every Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person supported the Voice, he said “the overwhelming majority” of people do.

He explained the community awareness campaign would outline how a referendum works, how and when people can cast their vote, and support the Yes position.

“We are very clear in advocating for a Yes vote,” Mr Barr said.

“We will not be providing resources for the No case.”

Mr Barr said he hopes the ACT will deliver the highest Yes result in the country on the referendum.

He outlined that no additional public money would be used for the public awareness campaign; instead, the government’s existing social media and other communication channels would be utilised.

Canberra Liberals Leader Elizabeth Lee moved an amendment, which was defeated, to have the government consult with the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community specifically on this issue and for it to recognise there were many diverse views regarding the Voice.

She said it was disappointing that the government hadn’t consulted its own elected body before moving the motion.

“How incredibly sad it would be for the ACT, that prides itself on having our own voice, to bypass our own elected body on an issue as important as this debate?” Ms Lee said.

“What has become clear is that there is a range of views amongst Canberra’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities about the Voice, from those who are firmly in favour of it to those who are firmly against it to those who are still considering this important question.

“For this Chief Minister to bully or demonise people who are genuinely saying ‘I want to actually have a good long think about it’ is really concerning.”

Ms Lee took issue with Mr Barr’s argument that consultation had already occurred throughout the years.

“What he failed to acknowledge, and what he failed to address, is that since this has become an issue for a referendum … none of that has been discussed with the local communities,” she said.

“The top priority for the Chief Minister seems to be ‘I want to achieve the highest Yes vote in the ACT’.

“The referendum is not about one particular leader of a government achieving the highest vote. This is not a competition … but to place it in the realm of, ‘you know what, this is going to be my personal crusade to ensure that we get the highest Yes vote’, it really does speak volumes for where the Chief Minister’s priorities are.”

The Canberra Liberals have not confirmed their position on the Voice to Parliament.

Brindabella MLA Mark Parton, who has Noongar ancestry, accused Mr Barr of crossing a line by publicly stating his strong support for a Yes vote.

“How dare you tell me how to think about this issue. That’s the problem I have with this,” he said.

“I, in my heart, don’t believe it’s for elected members to tell people how to vote.

“This debate is far too important to be used by the Chief Minister as a political wedge.”

The Commonwealth has not yet passed legislation to allow for a referendum on the matter, nor has a firm date been set for a vote; however, it’s expected to take place in the second half of the year.

It’s understood the Federal Government has decided it will distribute information about the Yes and No debates ahead of the referendum.