Voice to Parliament campaigner Noel Pearson warns of serious consequences if Australia votes ‘no’: ‘It won’t get us anywhere’

Yes campaigner Noel Pearson has warned Indigenous people not to fear the consequences if the referendum does not support Parliament’s vote.

Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, he implored Australia to support the voice and unite the entire country with its indigenous people.

“We would be dishonest if we didn’t say that we have a mixture of hope and terror about the response to this referendum,” he said.

“We are so few and you are so many.” We are three percent and you are 97 percent.

“Australians are largely ignorant of our cultures, our languages ​​– the things that make us identical to you and the things that make us so alien.”

“My people are a good people.” They have done nothing that deserves contempt and contempt. They should neither be feared nor despised.

“They have suffered a lot – let’s not prolong the alienation.” “They can contribute a lot to their country if only they are given the chance.”

Yes campaigner Noel Pearson has said Indigenous people fear the Voice referendum will lead to bitter division if it fails

Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, Noel Pearson (pictured with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese) implored Australia to support the vote to Parliament

The Indigenous activist said white Australia was not responsible for the country’s troubled past, but stressed: “Neither are we.”

“Our alleged inferiority is no justification for this story.” Not then, not now. If we vote no, there will be no peace dividend.

“There is only the continued acrimony of endless debate, the harsh punishment of division paid for with shame and mutual distrust.”

“On October 14, we, the Australian people, will have to choose whether to cross the bridge into our future or grope in the past.”

“No one wants the invitation to friendship and love to remain unrequited.”

He described the No campaign’s “misinformation” as “nonsense” which he said had used horror stories to stoke fears in the community.

“Not a square centimeter of land was lost because of Mabo.” [land rights and native titles court ruling in 1992],’ he said.

“All these fear campaigns are just saying things that never happened.” Nobody lost land.

“The Supreme Court was absolutely right. Now we have the Australian people’s chance to get it right on the Constitution.”

He said the vote would help improve health outcomes for Indigenous people.

“This is a problem that only one voice can overcome,” he said.

“To ensure that the people who represent us – who make laws over us, who determine so much of the reality of our lives – listen to our advice and have the opportunity to benefit from the power of our ideas.”

“Rheumatic heart disease causes lifelong damage to a child’s heart valves.”

“But it is the lifelong damage to the ears of our country’s decision-makers that has allowed this disease to spread in Cape York, decades after it was eradicated across mainstream Australia and around the world.”

“It is the disease of a people who have spoken but have not been heard.”

“No doesn’t get us anywhere.” When it comes to fighting rheumatic heart disease, Yes makes it possible. That’s why your answer is so important to us.”

The Indigenous activist said white Australia was not responsible for the country’s troubled past, but stressed: “Neither are we.”

Noel Pearson said the vote would help improve health outcomes for Indigenous people

He added: “Sometimes one might feel that it would have been easier never to have extended the hand of invitation from the heart.”

“But whether out of naivety or faith, we had to ask all these questions.”

“Will you join us on this journey to a better future?” It is time to take our rightful place in our own land.

“Allow us to empower our people to take responsibility for our children, our families and the destinies of our people.” We have many talents and gifts to contribute.

“By voting yes, we cross the bridge on the path to peace.” Voting no is not a neutral decision.

“Voting no is an active choice that gets us nowhere, but often leaves us stuck in the neverland that exists between two people who love the same homeland but have not yet learned to love each other.”

He said the nation could still use the referendum to strengthen its “mutual love for the country” – if not its people – moving forward.

“It is not love for each other that binds us together,” he said. “It is our common love for the country that binds us together.” We don’t need mutual affection to be successful in this referendum.

“Our children and great children are more likely to share the affection between them than we are.”

“Because too many of us grew up strangers.” But if you get your children to know our children, they will all be better off for it.

“That’s the promise of the future… we want Australia to be kinder to our children.”

He said that even two centuries after colonization, the country’s indigenous population still did not have the same rights as New Zealand’s Maoris.

And he said respect for Indigenous people rarely goes beyond admiration for their athletic skills.

“We don’t have enough shared stories of loyal friendship and camaraderie,” he said.

“Which companion ship existed between our Diggers in the World War was not much known and remained unknown.

“Australians have always admired our sporting and cultural heroes and that’s no wonder – we are proud of their abilities and enjoy their respect.”

“But I’m not talking about admiration here. It’s the love of the country.’

He said the nation could still use the referendum to strengthen its “mutual love for the country,” if not its people, moving forward

He criticized the No campaign for not offering better alternatives and instead simply focused on preventing the Yes vote from winning by waging a culture war.

“I don’t see any solutions from the no camp,” he said.

“Nobody has a solution to rheumatic heart disease.” Nobody has a solution to the problems our people face.

“What they want is simply to kill the Voice proposal and leave the country festering on culture war issues rather than real problems.

“And that is a tragic situation.”