Burney with Indigenous leaders in March.Credit:Rhett Wyman
As the Liberal Party and former prime minister John Howard launched a fundraising drive to defeat the referendum,top Indigenous leaders expressed optimism it would succeed as debate moved “out of the Canberra bubble and into backyards” following next week’s passing of referendum legislation.
“Keep the faith. History is calling,” said leading Voice architects Megan Davis and Pat Anderson,asserting support was solid among voters spoken to in dozens of Uluru Dialogues events.
Albanese echoed their hopefulness,telling Labor MPs he remained confident about the referendum,due to be held between October and December,to which he has staked his authority.
Burney used a speech in Canberra on Tuesday night to claim the Voice would lead to tangible improvements in society and a “more productive Australia,with greater social and economic participation”,while highlighting the No campaign’s “post-truth approach to politics”.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has actively campaigned against the proposal.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
“I fear that the No campaign is importing American-style Trump politics to Australia,” she said. “Its aim is to polarise people and its weapon of choice is misinformation.”
“No campaign outfit,Fair Australia,regularly posts things on social media that are clearly false or taken out of context.”