The morning after Australians voted no to a voice to parliament, constitutional lawyer Megan Davis didn’t get away from bed.
Like so many different Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, Professor Davis mentioned she didn’t wish to go away her home, get away from bed or learn the information following October’s referendum outcome.
Prof Davis has been campaigning for constitutional recognition for First Nations individuals for many years and advocated for a voice to parliament within the lead-up to the referendum.
Eight months after the vote, the Cobble Cobble girl mentioned she felt she may now communicate concerning the referendum.
“It has been eight months and our leaders by and enormous have withdrawn from media and political engagement,” she mentioned.
“As one of many leaders of that marketing campaign, I’ve had loads of time to consider the referendum and yarn about it and I really feel in a greater place to talk one thing about it.”
Delivering the College of Queensland’s annual NAIDOC lecture on Wednesday, Prof Davis mentioned whereas the damage from the referendum wouldn’t heal shortly, Indigenous individuals wouldn’t hand over.
“Our individuals have endured far worse and we aren’t giving up,” she mentioned.
“We flip each no right into a sure.”
Prof Davis continues to marketing campaign for the Uluru Assertion of the Coronary heart, which asks for a voice within the structure, treaty, and a truth-telling course of.
“They did not vote no to truth-telling, they didn’t vote no to agreement-making,” she mentioned.
“The no does not imply a legislative voice is off the desk and the no will not be a no to constitutional recognition.”
Reflecting on the referendum marketing campaign, Prof Davis mentioned a “cocktail” of racism, politicisation of the voice, disinformation, poor understanding of the Australian structure and worry of change led to the ‘sure’ vote’s defeat.
“Obscuring all the things within the referendum final 12 months is one factor the nation will not speak about and that’s the thick cloud of misinformation and disinformation,” she mentioned.
“All through the marketing campaign, lies unfold from each ends of the political spectrum, politicians and opportunistic zealots obtained concerned and so they colored the nationwide dialog in a manner that was divisive.”
Heartened by the energy of younger Indigenous individuals and the 6.2 million individuals who voted ‘sure’ within the referendum, Prof Davis mentioned the long run had the potential to be brilliant if all Australians labored collectively.
“It is not about proper and left, it is about proper and left foot – getting away from bed once more and placing one foot in entrance of the opposite and strolling alongside all Australians in a motion of the Australian individuals for a greater future,” she mentioned.
