YOUR SAY: Indigenous people deserve a treaty, not just a Voice

The "yes" voters don't seem to acknowledge that recognition of Indigenous people into the constitution is almost unanimous within all political parties already, but the deceitful politics of the Labor party are the linked Makaratta and truth-telling parts which any objective-minded and critical thinker would view with concern.

To imply all Indigenous people around Australia are marginalised or disadvantaged is simply incorrect and mischievous.

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and Warren Mundine acknowledge they are not disadvantaged as would also those who belong to the over 3000 successful Aboriginal corporations around Australia and the lawyers, doctors, performers and academics etc who have taken advantage of the opportunities that Australia provides to advance their lives. If the "yes" voters are taken in by feel-good virtue signalling and unable or unwilling to see the inherent dangers of Makaratta and truth-telling then they are being wilfully blind to the hidden agenda behind the facade of the Voice.

Treaties are a path for Indigenous people to actually have an influence over their reigning government's policies. The following governments have treaties with their Indigenous people - New Zealand, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Japan, Greenland and the United States of America, and we have a bunch of "no numpties" who are connected to the conservative side of politics, who don't even want our Indigenous people to have a voice! What is wrong with people in this country? After all the murder, rape, torture over the centuries, that Aboriginal people have suffered, plus being ignored, these tiny-minded twits are against Indigenous people expressing their opinion. I'm not Indigenous in any way, but I long for the day when Aboriginal people are treated fairly and have a say in their future. They deserve a treaty, not just a voice.

MORE COMMENT

I am disappointed to read that Albury Anglican priest Peter MacLeod-Miller has said that "if you put up a poster supporting the 'no' case for the Voice referendum in Albury-Wodonga you would have your window broken".

To make that accusation is simply ignorant and disrespectful of all the residents of the cross-border community no matter which way they will vote. As a man of the cloth, I would have expected he would have been kinder and more open-hearted, empathetic, compassionate and respectful of both sides of the debate! A listening ear! To say I am extremely disappointed to hear he feels this way is an understatement. I get the impression he is working the room to his advantage and a headline! Church and state should never mix!

As for those pesky "yes" supporters he refers to, those whom he fears carry around a brick(s) in their backpack in readiness to throw through his window, I reckon they have better things to do like having open conversations with folks and taking the time to talk about the Voice, to listen with respect and acknowledge our differences and our similarities, to not incite violence!

I believe Fr McLeod-Miller needs to learn to use his ears more and his mouth less.

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