The “Yes” campaign has gained traction across digital platforms as the date for Australians to vote on whether to enshrine an Indigenous voice into the constitution draws near.
Conversations about The Voice have increased by over 50 percent in the month of September, compared to the month of August.
Meanwhile, social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has seen the “Yes” camp double the coverage with one billion impressions compared to 432 million impressions for the “No” camp.
Key opinion leaders for the “Yes” camp’s are ABC News and The Australian newspaper, while the “No”’ camp’s are Sky News Australia and The Australian newspaper.
Polls Show Support for ‘Yes’ Camp Falling
Despite the surge seen in digital coverage by the “Yes” camp, support for The Voice is falling. According to a September poll (pdf) by RedBridge, support for The Voice sat at 44 percent, compared to 62 percent who oppose The Voice.
Queensland topped support for the “No” camp, sitting at 48 percent, while New South Wales topped support for the “Yes” camp, sitting at 42 percent.
Additionally, support for The Voice among Labor voters had fallen from 75 percent in April to 60 percent by September, according to Resolve Political Monitor.
On a year-to-year comparison, 64 percent of pollsters supported The Voice in September 2022, a figure that has dropped to 43 percent in September 2023.
“I know a lot of people have not made up their mind, and what I know is that the feedback, when people talk through these issues, they arrive at a Yes vote pretty comfortably,” Mr. Albanese told reporters on Oct. 2.
Senator Jacinta Price Has Largest Effect on Voice Referendum
According to Kosmos Samaras, the director of Redbridge Strategic Research, “No” campaigner and Indigenous Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has had the largest influence in The Voice referendum compared to any other individual, reported The Sydney Morning Herald.“She’s an Aboriginal woman saying ‘don’t vote for this.’ It is very powerful because it turned this into a political fist fight and not a proposition above politics ... progressive No hasn’t had the same impact,” Mr. Samaras said.
An example was on Sept. 14, when Ms. Price argued that no ongoing negative impacts have resulted from the British colonisation of Australia, and that the conversation around colonisation and its ongoing impacts on Indigenous Australians can be harmful.
“If we keep telling Aboriginal people that they are victims, we are effectively removing their agency, and giving them the expectation somebody else is responsible for their lives,” she said.
Indigenous Australians Minister Senator Linda Burney described Ms. Price’s comments as “offensive” and said they deny the experience of many Indigenous families, particularly those with intergenerational trauma.
“We only have to look at the Stolen Generations and the impacts that has had, in terms of ongoing trauma and pain. Her comments are a betrayal of so many people’s stories,” Ms. Burney said.
In an interview with ABC radio, Sen. Price accused the public broadcaster of being “absolutely biased” on coverage of indigenous affairs, including the Voice referendum.
“There is absolutely a bias in terms of the way the ABC approaches Indigenous issues, full stop,” Ms. Price said.
When asked to explain the accusation, Ms. Price said the appearance of a conservative voice on shows like Q+A would be a token gesture.
“It has always been a situation where you’re a token conservative,” she said.
“If you’re a conservative Aboriginal woman, as far as the ABC is concerned, you are controversial or you’re not part of the status quo.
“There must be something … you’re generally made to feel as though it’s unacceptable your approach to issues.”
The Indigenous senator also said that the ‘Yes’ camp has been given more coverage in the ABC compared to the the ‘No’ camp.
Former TV Personality Criticises ‘No’ Camp
It comes as former TV journalist personality Ray Martin criticised “No” voters for not understanding the details of the proposed Voice to parliament.“The No vote organisers also keep asking Albo for the details, what about the details? At this stage of the game, the details simply don’t matter,” Mr. Martin said last week.
“If you ‘don’t know,’ find out what you don’t know. What that excellent slogan is saying is that if you are a dinosaur or a [expletive] who can’t be bothered reading, then vote No.
“The words of the referendum could not be simpler than they are.”
Mr. Albanese has praised Mr. Martin for his comments, describing the speech as “powerful.”
“It’s through activities like that, talking with people in the suburbs, in the regional towns, in remote communities who are voting as we’re speaking, and it is having those conversations that will make a difference,” Mr. Albanese said.
Meltwater and Redbridge Strategic Research have been approached for comment.
