Key Points
- Migrant and refugee communities have dismissed an appeal from the 'no' campaign as a 'distraction'.
- An Aboriginal campaigner backing the 'no' vote says migrants should be recognised in the constitution.
- A referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament will be held in the latter half of 2023.
Australia’s peak body representing people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds has dismissed a call by the Voice to Parliament's 'no' camp for the constitutional recognition of migrants as a "distraction" and "red herring".
The chairperson of the Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia (FECCA), Carlo Carli, said its community consultation and outreach with members had shown widespread support for the 'yes' campaign for an Indigenous Voice to be enshrined in the constitution.
"I was surprised to be honest (when I heard this new preamble proposal). I am not sure where this idea came from," he told SBS News.
"It should not be used as a political ploy to turn ethnic communities against our Indigenous First Nations people," he said.
Indigenous advocates supporting the 'no' campaign in the upcoming Indigenous Voice referendum appealed to migrant voters in their launch on Monday, saying they should vote no for the Voice.
They should instead back a proposal for a statement in the preamble of the constitution to recognise "the migrants and refugees" who had "contributed to this country".
"It's about complementing," said the leader of the 'no' campaign, former Australian Labor Party president turned Liberal candidate Warren Mundine.
Warren Mundine said while Indigenous people should be recognised in the constitution, other groups of people should have the same opportunity.
"When we look at Australia we are a liberal democracy in a plural society, so we have many faiths, many cultures, we have many ethnicities. It's a population of around 26 million. I think the constitution should reflect that and be very praiseworthy of it."
Mr Carli said the lived experience of migrants and refugees had informed their perspective to embrace the Indigenous Voice.
"There's a direct understanding, they've experienced dispossession, they've experienced marginalisation. And they've found refuge in this country," he said.
"And I think they now see the refuge they found in a country which itself has seen colonialism and a brutal impact on the First Nations people. And I think they want to see that rectified."
When is the Voice to Parliament referendum?
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has committed to holding a referendum in the second half of 2023 on the issue of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
Voters would be asked - yes or no - if they support having a representative Indigenous advisory body enshrined in the constitution.
The proposed body would have no veto power, but would compel the government to consider their advice on policies affecting First Nations Australians.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton said the Liberal Party is still deciding its stance on the issue, with a Liberal Party cabinet meeting discussing the matter on Tuesday.
The party's coalition partner, the federal National Party of Australia, has said has already determined to back the 'no' campaign.
Mr Dutton has said he personally supports the 'no' campaign and has said he wants more detail about the government's preferred model it would back in draft legislation.
Constitutional lawyers, such as University of Sydney Professor Anne Twomey, has said such draft legislation is better developed by MPs and released after the referendum vote outcome to avoid confusing referendum voters.
The federal Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, told SBS News the government is focused on ensuring misinformation and division stay out of the debate so that voters can make an informed choice at the ballot box.
"My focus is on the referendum and making sure everything is organised for a successful referendum. I am interested in bringing the country together - and making sure the referendum is run properly - and that people have real choice."
