a legislated Voice would be an insult

On the coronary heart of the political debate concerning the Voice to Parliament is an odd contradiction. The prime minister insists {that a} Voice to Parliament is essential to enhancing the effectiveness of insurance policies aimed toward Closing the Hole, however he has successfully mentioned that if the Voice referendum is defeated, he won’t legislate to determine a Voice.

Peter Dutton, nevertheless, says a Voice to Parliament is a sinister elite plot to overthrow the structure or the federal government or one thing — it’s not likely clear what — and appeals to the sense of grievance and victimhood of non-Indigenous Australians to defeat it. But when the Voice is defeated, Dutton needs to legislate one. “Let’s try this. Let’s sit down and work collectively on the drafting of that,” Dutton says.

For somebody who regards a Voice to Parliament as a conspiracy to “re-racialise” Australia, Dutton is very eager to create one. Simply not by way of a referendum. And for somebody who thinks a Voice is essential to Closing the Hole, Anthony Albanese is peculiarly immune to establishing it by another means if his proposed one fails.