Indigenous leaders break their silence, call referendum defeat 'appalling and mean-spirited' - ABC News

Indigenous leaders have written an open letter to Anthony Albanese after the Voice referendum was defeated.(ABC News: Michael Franchi)

Indigenous leaders who supported the Yes case at last week’s Voice referendum have written to the prime minister saying the No vote was a “shameful victory”.

Key points:

• The letter said the constitution belongs to "white people" and no reform of it that "includes our peoples will ever succeed"
• The letter attributed the historic referendum loss to a lack of bipartisanship, as well as "lies in political advertisement and communication", and racism
• The ABC understands some Aboriginal leaders have distanced themselves from the statement, and did not want their names associated with it

"That people who came to our country in only the last 235 years would reject the recognition of this continent's First Peoples — on our sacred land which we have cared for and nurtured for more than 65,000 years — is so appalling and mean-spirited as to be utterly unbelievable a week following," the letter reads.

A week ago, more than 60 per cent of Australians rejected reforming the constitution to create a new Indigenous Voice, which would have advised the parliament on First Nations affairs.

In an open letter to Anthony Albanese, as well as MPs and senators, Indigenous leaders said the constitution belongs to "those who the founding fathers intended it for".

"It is clear no reform of the Constitution that includes our peoples will ever succeed."

The statement says it is made up of "collective insights and views of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders, community members and organisations who supported the Yes campaign."

It is unclear who signed the letter but the ABC understands some Aboriginal leaders had distanced themselves from an earlier draft of the statement, and did not want their names associated with it.

Every state and territory except the ACT voted no in the landmark referendum last Saturday.

Until now, First Nations leaders supportive of the Yes case had been observing a week of silence while they processed the defeat of the referendum.

The Indigenous leaders who endorsed the letter attributed the historic referendum loss to a lack of bipartisanship, as well as "lies in political advertisement and communication" and racism.

"The support for the referendum collapsed from the moment Liberal and National Party leaders, Mr Dutton and Mr Littleproud, chose to oppose the Voice to Parliament proposal after more than a decade of bipartisan support," the letter reads.

"The proposal was tracking 60 per cent support compared to 40 per cent opposition for several years until the National and Liberal parties preferred wanton political damage over support for some of this country's most disadvantaged people. There was little the Yes campaign could do to countervail this.

"The truth is that the majority of Australians have committed a shameful act whether knowingly or not, and there is nothing positive to be interpreted from it," the letter reads.

The Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, told NITV this week that she would conduct further consultations with First Nations people "about next steps".

The letter sent to the prime minister said some leaders now want an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice established without constitutional change or legislation.

"This rejection will not deter us from speaking our Voice to governments, parliaments and to the Australian people," the letter reads.

"While this moment will be etched into Australia's history forever, today we think of our children, and our children's children. Our work continues as it has always done."

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2023-10-22 08:28:38Z
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