The Voice: 'Vile' messages expose dark side of the referendum
As the referendum draws near, the debate has sunk to a new low.
Racist, sexist and threatening direct messages are being sent to Voice campaigners as Australia's October 14 referendum approaches and the debate becomes ever more polarised and ugly.
Campaigners on both sides of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament debate have been receiving abusive and highly distressing texts on social media, prompting some fed-up Aussies to name and shame offenders.
One such message sent to a female Yes23 campaigner on X, formally known as Twitter, reads: "How about ya shut ya f**king c**t lips up and don't tell people how to vote ya Commie traitor. The voice is a lie. F**k off to China. Dog."
Adrian Elton, a creative director known for his work on grassroots ad campaigns supporting the Voice, exposed the identity of the note's author on social media. "There is a culture in Australia that you do not dob on someone, which is taking it for granted you can get away with it," he told Yahoo News Australia.
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"This was so misogynistic and so vile and I felt that person deserved some consequence and should not get a hall pass because it was sent in a direct message. It's important to shine a spotlight on this. It's also reminding people that the things you say are not necessarily going to remain private. People need to conduct themselves in a kinder and more civil way."
Targeted threats
"I would imagine this woman has the potential basis for some kind of complaint to police. This was a targeted threat which could cause her to fear for her safety," Mr Elton explained. "This person is trying to intimidate her and make her feel afraid and this is them wanting to have their say out of public scrutiny and view. This is behaviour that needs to be called out."
He highlighted the trauma First Nations people must be experiencing during the politicised debate, which he said has been peppered with "lies calculated to be Trumpian sound bites" and predicted Australia would become the "hillbillies" of the world if the referendum failed to pass.
Neither side is safe
Women in particular seem to be key targets for daring to speak out during the campaign, but threatening messages have not been isolated to Yes campaigners. High-profile figures such as Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who backs the No vote, have even received threats on their lives.
Last month, Senator Nampijinpa Price revealed she'd been "bombarded with revolting messages" calling her a c**t and a b***h, death threats and abuse from aggressive trolls who are dragging Australia's biggest debate down to the lowest level imaginable.
Albo blamed for 'horrible behaviour'
The Country Liberal Party Senator and Warlpiri woman said the abuse started after her private mobile number was posted on X — the same day as thousands of Aussies received unsolicited texts in her name which described the Voice as "risky, unknown and divisive". They directed recipients to a Liberal and National Party website.
Taking to the National Press Club, Senator Nampijinpa Price said Australia had seen "ugliness on display right across the board" during the debate and laid the blame squarely at the feet of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for taking the Voice to a referendum. "I condemn all kinds of horrible behaviour that has come out as a result of this," she said.
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