Key Points
- Campaigners against the Voice to Parliament gathered in Adelaide to support the No campaign on Monday.
- It comes after thousands of people marched in Walk for Yes events over the weekend.
- Australians will head to the ballot box on 14 October.
As the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum draws closer, the No campaign is rallying supporters in must-win battleground states.
Supporters of the No campaign, who are voting against enshrining an, gathered at an event in Adelaide on Monday evening.
Opposition spokeswoman for Indigenous Australians Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, South Australian Senator Kerrynne Liddle and prominent No campaigner Warren Mundine all spoke at the event at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
The No campaigners were met with protesters from the Yes campaign outside the event.
The Adelaide No launch follows similar events in Melbourne and Perth, with campaigners aiming to galvanise grassroots support in the final weeks of the campaign.
“We’re having conversations with Aboriginal people from grassroots communities who are dead set against this,” Senator Price said.
“They see the dangers with this, and we’re here to represent those voices.”
South Australian Senator Kerrynne Liddle and Opposition spokeswoman for Indigenous Affairs Jacinta Nampijinpa Price spoke at the No campaign event in Adelaide. Source: SBS News / Peta Doherty
Mundine said No campaigners had been vilified and accused of racism.
He said Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have “always” had voices.
“Australia is not a racist country and our people are not racist,” he said.
“We would not be spending billions of dollars to help people if we were a bunch of racists.
“Don’t be fooled. This (is) a very very dangerous and bad track, which our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will have to wear the consequences of.”
Some volunteers drove hours to attend.
One campaigner, who travelled from Naracoorte, told SBS News she believed the government was dividing the nation.
“We’re genuinely here for the right reasons and I think we do need to come together as one and the way to reconciliate (sic) is not through dividing the nation which the government is doing and has done,” she said.
“Everything is against the No vote except the hearts of people who are doing the reading and are concerned and upset by the claims of the Yes camp,” another said.
Another volunteer said while he thought Indigenous people should be recognised, the Voice was “an overreach”.
“There’s no need for any of this and it’s a total overreach,” he said.
“If they just stuck one clause in the constitution to recognise the first occupants of Australia, fine, but they’ve gone far too far on from that, it’s an overreach.”
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https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/hundreds-of-no-campaigners-rally-in-adelaide-ahead-of-voice-referendum/hzsm7b8zr Hundreds of No campaigners rally in Adelaide ahead of Voice referendum
