Nyunggai Warren Mundine, a prominent figure in the No campaign, faced raucous criticism from Yes supporters during his appearance to cast his vote for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum. As he navigated his way through the vociferous crowd at an early voting centre in Sydney, he continued to engage with individuals adorned in both Yes and No regalia.
The unsightly occurrence was notably covered by Sky News, capturing Mundine, a staunch adversary of the Voice, amidst swirling placards and incidental noises of “Yes” chants.
Within hours of the incident, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese denounced the No campaign for spreading what he called “misinformation”. Broadcasting from Adelaide that Friday morning, Mr Albanese chided the No campaign for their apparent dismissive attitude, suggesting they were exhibiting an “arrogance in taking this for granted and taking Australians for granted”.
As the October 14 closing of the referendum approaches, the Voice campaign is seeing an escalation in its severity. The campaign’s vicious trajectory has led to leaders calling for a display of heightened regard and civility from both sides, in light of a rise in reported incidents of abuse and racial vilification against notable Voice campaigners.
Indigenous Affairs Minister, Linda Burney insisted that the debate should be buoyed by “love and faith”. She later disclosed her receipt of considerable racial abuse during her engagement in the referendum, as inadvertently recorded during a conversation with NSW Premier Chris Minns.
Similarly, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, the Opposition Indigenous Affairs counterpart, and Mundine, also a key figure in the No campaign, have both spoken out against continued racial vilification against them during the referendum period. In one serious incident, Senator Price was victim to a leak of her personal number online, which resulted in a wave of offensive messages.
In her first address to the National Press Club in September, Price expressed, “From the moment this referendum was launched, our nation has been divided. The ugliness on display is widespread. Both Warren Mundine and I have been the subject of disgusting racial humiliation.”
Having had his own share of abuse, Mundine disclosed the immense emotional strain it had caused him in July. Later in a September press conference, he pointed the finger at the Prime Minister for the maltreatment he and Price endured.
Lidia Thorpe, another Indigenous campaigner for the No side, has not been spared either, having been the subject of racial prejudice, including her name appearing in a distressing video featuring an apparent neo-Nazi. In the clip, an individual concealed by a balaclava performs a Nazi salute after issuing a racial statement and setting fire to an Indigenous flag.
In a fierce reprisal to the video, Senator Thorpe pledged to hold her ground for her cause, laying the blame at the feet of the Voice which she claims has brought “nothing but pain and misery for my people and this country”.
With millions of Australians set to cast their vote on Saturday in the referendum, the outcome seems uncertain for the Yes contingent. Initial polls suggest backing for the Voice has dropped significantly since February, standing at 34% from a previous robust 60%.
However, Yes campaigners are unwavering despite the daunting predictions, vowing to fight tooth and nail until the end. Prime Minister Albanese seems sure that Australians would go against the “computer generated poll” results and vote for change, indicating that some polls perhaps “forgot to speak with voters”.
