I sympathise with the “progressive no” movement as a self-professed progressive. I appreciate that an advisory body afforded little power by the proposed amendment does not go far enough to make the change so desperately needed for our first nations people on the journey to reconciliation.
As a climate-conscious vegan living in the middle of beef and dairy country, I also recognise that taking the community along with you and compromising for the sake of incremental change is sometimes necessary.
The bleak reality is that many people in our country have not come to terms with our existence as a country on stolen land or recognising the horrors of the frontier wars, colonial massacres and dispossession. The Uluru Statement from the Heart is not perfect. The statement isn’t supported by all members of first nations communities. Aboriginal communities have diverse opinions among them just like all groups. This is the stumbling block that Russell Broadbent has tripped over, at least in the public version of his reasoning.
The greatest risk I see is what a “no” outcome will bring upon our community. There is a high potential for it to be used as a mandate to do less, as opposed to doing better as some “progressive no” proponents suggest. It will empower the “regressive no” group much more than it will the progressive group.
I’d love for this country to do better – but I’m still voting yes because some progress is better than none and I’ll be volunteering too. Because change requires work. I might see you on the hustings when you come to vote.
Austin Cram is the Regional Group Leader for the Animal Justice Party in Gippsland.
The bleak reality is that many people in our country have not come to terms with our existence as a country on stolen land or recognising the horrors of the frontier wars, colonial massacres and dispossession. The Uluru Statement from the Heart is not perfect. The statement isn’t supported by all members of first nations communities. Aboriginal communities have diverse opinions among them just like all groups. This is the stumbling block that Russell Broadbent has tripped over, at least in the public version of his reasoning.
The greatest risk I see is what a “no” outcome will bring upon our community. There is a high potential for it to be used as a mandate to do less, as opposed to doing better as some “progressive no” proponents suggest. It will empower the “regressive no” group much more than it will the progressive group.
I’d love for this country to do better – but I’m still voting yes because some progress is better than none and I’ll be volunteering too. Because change requires work. I might see you on the hustings when you come to vote.
Austin Cram is the Regional Group Leader for the Animal Justice Party in Gippsland.