By Paula Gerber
The No campaign repeatedly says that Australians should not support the Voice because it is divisive. This fundamentally misconstrues what we are being asked to vote on. The Voice is like a marriage proposal, not a divorce petition. It is about unity, not division.
The call for the Voice comes from the Uluru Statement from the Heart. The final sentence reads “We invite you to walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better future.” This is an offer work together for a more harmonious future.
The referendum is akin to Indigenous Australians ‘popping the question’ to the rest of Australia. The Voice is not about the end of the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. It is about taking the relationship to the next level.
Unlike the TV show Married at First Sight, the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-indigenous Australians is not one where match-makers have chosen strangers to marry each other. On the contrary, we have a long history of cohabitating on this land, and it is natural to want to take the next step in our relationship.
There are many ingredients to a successful marriage, including, respect, attention, good communication, sharing, listening, patience, resilience and give and take, also known as a willingness to compromise.
The Voice proposal epitomises these qualities. Aboriginal Australians are asking for recognition and to be heard as we continue to build our lives together. They are not demanding that we do as they say, just that we let them have a say. And like any marriage, we don’t always agree with what our partner says, but we do have to let them have their say.
The referendum is asking us whether we will we come together with Indigenous Australians, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health? Deciding to marry requires a bit of a leap of faith, since none of us have a crystal ball. But as we know great marriages make the rewards worth the risks. Just think of Bert and Patty Newton, Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt and Barack and Michelle Obama. Can Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians be another great marriage? After all we have lived together in Australia for more than 250 years. That is not going to change. What can change is how harmoniously we do that. The ‘marriage proposal’ from Aboriginal Australians is an invitation to do better.
Marriages that last, change and evolve over time. The proposal from Indigenous Australians leaves the door open for future changes. This is because Parliament is being given the power to decide what the Voice will look like – its composition, functions, powers and procedures. Parliament also has the power to accept or reject any representations the Voice may make. So we can safely say yes to the marriage proposal, knowing that we retain the ultimate power over what our lives together will look like.
On the 14th October 2023, when you go to write your answer to the referendum question, you might like to remember that saying yes creates the opportunity for us to take the next step in our relationship and together build a better future. Saying no, makes it extremely difficult for the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians to grow and prosper. After all, how many couples remain friends after a rejected marriage proposal?
Professor Paula Gerber is a Professor in the Monash University Faculty of Law and an Academic Member of the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law.
This article was originally published in The Hobart Mercury on Friday, 6 October 2023.
This post was originally published on Castan Centre for Human Rights Law .
