Over the weekend, Australia’s decision resounded around the country and with over 80% of the people in the electorate of Dawson voting no, it was a clear result.
The Albanese Labor Government proposed an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, and while highlighting the issues of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, is extremely important, I am fundamentally opposed to dividing the country on the basis of race.
What Labor failed to do was provide enough detail to the people of Australia on how the Voice would work, what power they would have, and who would hold that power.
Instead, they chose to spend hundreds of millions of dollars during a cost-of-living crisis and try to convince the public to vote on a vibe and guilt, telling us to vote yes because it was the right thing to do and if we didn’t, we were racist.
As a result, we are now dealing with a divided and emotional country and there is a lot of healing that needs to be done.
Prime Minister Albanese might not like the way Australia voted because he believes he knows better, however voters are never wrong, and what all Australian’s want most is equity and a fair go.
Moving forward, we need to work together. There needs to be an audit on the billions of dollars of taxpayer money that is spent on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that is currently not making it to the rural and regional communities who need it most.
We also need to get back to basics. The government needs to address the cost-of living crisis, the growing rate of crime, the poor road infrastructure in rural and regional areas like Dawson, and the crumbling healthcare system that North Queenslanders are currently suffering through.
As your Federal Member, I focus on the issues affecting all of the people of Dawson, and this week in Parliament I am loudly reminding the Prime Minister and his Labor Government to get back to basics and listen to the Australian people.
Andrew Willcox MP
Federal Member for Dawson
Opinion Piece