I AM writing in response to comments made in the media by Labor Senator Jana Stewart on the Parliamentary Committee considering an Indigenous Voice to Parliament (Webster comments ‘mislead’, senator says, The Guardian, May 30).
Senator Stewart’s accusations, platformed by this publication, show a distinct lack of respect for both the debate and for those whose views do not align with her own.
Politics is replete with those willing to sing from the government song-sheet to push an agenda detached from the facts.
The simple fact is this: the public positions of those on the committee were known when they were appointed, and the committee was made up of 10 publicly stated pro-Voice members and just three not in support of the Voice. That is hardly a balanced committee.
Senator Stewart is clutching at straws citing Andrew Gee “former National” to imply some sort of even-handedness. Mr Gee quit The Nationals over his position on the Voice, but I can tell you confidently an overwhelming majority of Mallee residents surveyed oppose the Voice for the reasons I have previously outlined, as has the National party.
The government achieved its desired outcome with the committee from a relatively low number of submissions, compared to the number of submissions on many Parliamentary inquiries and committees I have been a member. This referendum, if successful, will trigger the biggest change to our Constitution and expansion of bureaucracy in living memory.
On the day of the referendum, the views of all Australian citizens will be known.
My hope is that facts and reason drive the debate that informs the views and decides the vote on this critical issue, not flawed political accusations.
Dr Anne Webster
Member for Mallee
