In a historic vote, Australians voted against greater rights for indigenous people. The “No” campaign used similar tactics to right-wing populists in the USA and Europe.
Australians like to think of themselves as the good guys. They are friendly, follow the rules and always have a sunny disposition. The problem: A significant proportion of these Australians are also racist. They provided proof of this this weekend.
The Australians rejected the referendum (“The Voice”) by a clear majority. The historic vote was about whether Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples should be given a greater political say through a constitutional amendment. Up to 60 percent of Australians said no. Surveys at the beginning of the year showed significantly more support for the project.
How could racism ultimately triumph over the hope for a better life for the disadvantaged three percent?
The answer to this question and the background also have to do with Germany and Europe. In its campaign, the “No” side drew on similar sources that the right-wing populists are using in the wake of Brexit in Great Britain or currently in the Federal Republic. The “Voice” referendum is the umpteenth lesson in how to manipulate insecure voters when making important political decisions.
German politicians also use this strategy
Similar to CDU leader Friedrich Merz, who is currently using the issue of migration to overtake right-wing parties like the AfD with populist slogans, Australian opposition leader Peter Dutton also recognized the potential of the “Voice” referendum. He wants to give his party new impetus after last year’s election defeat and take the shine off the Labor government.
Dutton described Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s plan to hold a referendum as “dangerous”. He claimed that a constitutional change would give Aboriginal people “special rights” over other Australians. What the opposition leader never mentioned: That the Australian constitution has been making racial distinctions since 1901 – to the detriment of the indigenous population groups.
The “Guardian” saw Dutton’s actions as “taken straight from Donald Trump’s textbook”. And research actually showed that the “No” campaign was implemented by consultants from the new right scene who, among other things, have connections to Donald Trump Jr.
Christian evangelical organizations in the USA were also apparently involved in the campaign. The strategy is simple: distort facts, stoke fear and increase ignorance. With these methods, any injustice can be successfully glorified again and again.
“If you don’t know, vote No”
Misinformation, conspiracy theories and racist nonsense spread best through social media channels. In Australia, too, the noise has increased significantly in recent months. Slogans like “If you don’t know, vote No” or “Vote No to the voice of division” are just as simple how effective.
As in the USA, the narratives here were also based on the white man’s fears of losing his patriarchal supremacy. A narrative that has been used by right-wing extremists for years to drum up opposition to equal rights for minorities. Australians were led to believe that they could lose their privileges if they gave a small minority in the country a little more rights. There was talk of land loss, higher taxes and racism against whites.
The facts are lost in the flood of disinformation: racist attacks on indigenous people have increased significantly in recent months. Indigenous people have a lower life expectancy and are more likely to suffer from violence, alcohol and drug addiction. They end up in police custody more often and are less trained than other Australians.
