Leading Yes campaigner Noel Pearson urges supporters to maintain hope but says Saturday’s referendum appears lost and Australia was a “hard country now”.
Leading Yes campaigner Noel Pearson has conceded the Voice to parliament referendum is headed for defeat, saying Australia was a “hard country now”, and nothing seemed to persuade white Australia that the Constitution did not “entirely belong to them”.
Mr Pearson, speaking without notes, told the crowd of more than 100 partners and clients of law firm Gilbert + Tobin that, in the event of defeat, “there will be no path to the kind of reconciliation that I believe is underpinned by justice”.He said Australia was “a hard country” and that he feared having to tell fellow Indigenous Australians that “the faith I implored them to place in white Australia was misplaced”.
“If you were me, and you represented a minority who were the original peoples of the land, would you have been satisfied with a Voice to the bloody parliament?”was invited as working media. Towards the end of his speech Mr Pearson said it was under the Chatham House rule. Thehas not reported any remarks after that point. That rule says that although attendees can tell the public what was discussed, generally, participants must not reveal who said what.
Mr Pearson described his frustration at the Yes campaign’s inability to counter negative media coverage. “I don’t blame Jacinta and Warren,” Mr Pearson said. “Forgive them Father, for they do know not what they do.”
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Noel Pearson and Sarah Ferguson return to the heartland of MaboWe asked 60,000 Australians more than 600 questions on everything from pets to politics.
Read more »
Voice opponent Lidia Thorpe says Voice should still be legislated if referendum failsLidia Thorpe, who has campaigned for a No vote in the referendum on a Voice to Parliament, says the Voice should be legislated if the referendum fails and the prime minister would be 'weak' to abandon the proposal.
Read more »
Indigenous voice to parliament: Don’t be surprised if ethnic communities vote No to the VoiceIf polls are correct about the triumph of the No vote, expect large numbers of multicultural voters to be part of the revolt against establishment bodies.
Read more »
Noel Pearson urges voters to consider future generations at last-ditch Yes campaign rally for the VoiceTwo days out from the Voice referendum, Noel Pearson is urging voters to think of future generations as they head to the polling booths.
Read more »
‘All we have to do is vote yes’: Pat Farmer finishes epic 14,000km journey to boost voice supportPrime minister Anthony Albanese and leading yes campaigner Noel Pearson joined Farmer at base of Uluru for final leg of tour across Australia
Read more »
Why my dad, Bob Hawke, would be rolling in his grave over the VoiceThis is what my father, Australia’s 23rd prime minister Robert James Lee Hawke, realised too late about some of the modern history of Australia. And it pained him deeply.
Read more »