Story proposal:
A commentary about the upcoming referendum on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, and comparisons in the rhetoric in this referendum to the Brexit Referendum in the UK 7 years ago.
Preferred Publication
Ideally, the commentary will be for The Australian, but could also be published in The Sydney Morning Herald/The Age or as a commentary piece for ABC News Online.
Pitch
Later this year, Australians will be asked to vote in an historic referendum to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. This referendum, the first since the doomed 1999 republic referendum in which 55-46% margin, will be historic, not least because the Albanese administration has made it a signature policy, as mentioned at the Garma Festival last year.
The intentions of the Prime Minister and the Commonwealth Government are honourable, But, recent events and rhetoric suggest that political divisions between the capital cities, Canberra and regional Australia are widening and can divide Australians. Jacinta Price, the Country Liberal Senator who sits with The Nationals, and the now Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs, has been told in no uncertain terms by pro Voice activists that she cannot and will not speak for Alice Springs (despite living in the town all her life) and being Indigenous herself, whilst Noel Pearson, one of the great orators of this country has used hyperbole language to describe Liberal leader Peter Dutton as the gravedigger who will bury Uluru.
The seismic nature, coupled with this hyperbole rhetoric, is in my mind, is delivering a sense of déjà vu to the Brexit Referendum seven years ago. I still recall to this day Chancellor (the UK Treasurer) George Osbourne threatening an Emergency Budget if Britain votes to leave, and posters driven around London of kicking migrants out, and then, in the aftermath of it all, those who held Remainer views denounced as traitors and un-patriotic to their country.
Given the rhetoric by Senator Price, No Campaign head and prominent Indigenous Australian Warren Mundine, as well as recent hyperbole employed on the yes side, then Australia will fall into the pit of division, the same pit that the UK fell into, and is still struggling to climb out of.
In my mind, there is one way that this debate can be civil, and that is an end to the ‘my way or the highway’ approach to politics. This weekend, the Sydney Swans will face Geelong at Moore Park and supporters of the Red and the White will sit alongside supporters of Geelong to engage in the Australian tradition of mate ship and sportsmanship.
Interviewees
Dr Mitchell Hobbs – Politics lecturer at the University of Sydney – Mitchell.hobbs@sydney.edu.au
Jenny Long – Legislative Council Member for Newtown – (02) 9517 2800 or jenny.leong@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Someone advocating a no vote (TBC)
Multimedia to include:
- Senator Price No Campaign Ad
- Picture of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Garma Festival 2022
- Audio of Noel Pearson claiming Peter Dutton is a grave digger who will bury Uluru.
Callum offers a very researchable and thought-provoking political and social topic. When paying attention to the upcoming parliamentary referendum on the hot topic “Indigenous People’s Voice” in Australia, you also mentioned the issue of the Brexit referendum seven years ago, and showed yours and also the media’s concerns. Influential figures such as “Warren Mundine” and “Jacinta Price” are aptly mentioned by Callum as evidence in support of the topic. Also, your text content is nicely divided into short paragraphs and dots are used, which makes the text clearer. Your consideration of the interviewees is also thoughtful. However, on the basis of providing a clear topic, you should also consider a more specific research angle. Who is your primary focus? Who was most affected by this event and how were they affected? Is it possible to consider the substantive issues behind the event? It would be better if you describe your target group in more detail. For the use of sources, in addition to providing videos that are closely related to the topic (which are very good), Callum should also consider some documentary evidence, for example, existing relevant acts or relevant academic research literature and reports. Providing a more detailed hypertext may help you sort out your research ideas for the next step. In addition, in terms of online delivery, I suggest that you use more hyperlinks to present existing research evidence. Using the subheading and featured image can also help to highlight your topic and give readers a clearer understanding of it.