What annoys me, are those racists and bigots who will vote yes to create an apartheid state in Australia. Those who lie about the true intentions of the voice to create a massive gravy train that will cripple the democracy and integrity of this nation.

The Immigration Restriction Act (1901) repealed in 1959. The act was introduced to the Australian parliament by the then Prime Minister Edmund Barton, who by today's standards would be considered an ardent racists. The men who wrote the Australian Constitution were very much of the mind that Australia was for the British, and their decedents only, certainly not a country for non-white immigrants from Asia and elsewhere. That is why they inserted racists clauses into the Constitution, those provisions have never been removed, and any future government could use them at any time to legally introduce racially discriminatory laws. I don't see those claiming The Voice is racially discriminatory, jumping up and down and demanding the existing racist clauses in the Constitution be removed through a referendum.

No is the only way to go!!
A few elite latte sippers will be made rich and well off, a few further down the pecking line will get wealthy and enjoy life, the poor old black fella currently sitting under a gum tree will stay there. Have seen it all over the last 50+ years and it wont change.
A new bureaucracy costing the country millions will not fix the issues that have been there for years and will continue for years to come.

Paul,

Once again you have got it wrong, many liberals and nationals including myself on OLO have advocated removing any reference to race in the constitution.

Only Labor and the Greens want to put racist stuff into the constitution.

GBC

A good post. A straightforward opinion and a pleasant change from the catty little arguments.

Paul wrote:"That is why they inserted racists clauses into the Constitution, those provisions have never been removed, and any future government could use them at any time to legally introduce racially discriminatory laws. I don't see those claiming The Voice is racially discriminatory, jumping up and down and demanding the existing racist clauses in the Constitution be removed through a referendum."

Well I for one would love to see those clauses removed. But not for the reason Paul thinks.

You see, 'discrimination' can be a two way street. You can discriminate AGAINST but you can also discriminate IN FAVOUR of this or that race. The so-called racist clauses in the constitution have been used to discriminate in favour of racial groups - primarily the aboriginals. (Indeed some legal scholars think those clauses can ONLY be used to discriminate in favour of groups.)

So if these clauses that Paul uses to virtue signal his anti-racism were indeed removed then the legal basis for all pro-aboriginal federal schemes would be removed. No more Ab-study. No more The Indigenous Australians' Health Programme . No more Closing the Gap' funding. No more this....no more that.

I wonder if that's what Paul wants....or perhaps, as usual, he didn't think it through.

But you know the worst thing about getting rid of the so-called racist parts of the constitution? People like Paul would no longer be able to advertise their supreme virtue by calling for the repeal of those clauses. Oh the humanity!!