How can I respond to the claim that the Voice referendum causes racial tension by giving First Peoples constitutional rights that other Australians don't have?
The referendum aims to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution as the First Peoples of Australia, not by race.
The Voice is a way of recognition for the First Peoples that is both symbolic and practical. In practice, it helps the Parliament and government to be better informed about the First Peoples, whose customs and practices evolved here over an extraordinarily long time before the colonies were established.