In a feature spread published in this week’s edition of the Australian Jewish News, senior partner Mark Leibler offers responses to the main questions he is asked by Jewish Australians about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament.
“While there will always be a diversity of views within any community,” Mark writes “my sense is that the Australian Jewish community broadly supports the Voice as a just and reasonable step towards righting past wrongs. However, I’m finding myself more regularly approached at functions and via email by people with questions – questions they want answered for themselves but also so they might help to educate others and build momentum towards a successful referendum.
“Let me be clear, people who have questions and/or doubts about the Voice – at least the vast majority - are not racist. This is not about racism. But keep in mind that, just as we bristle when other sections of the Australian community try to dictate to us what antisemitism is and isn’t, or how we should feel about the Holocaust 70+ years down the track, we should respect, trust and support Indigenous Australians to determine the best approach to healing their wounds. And they have determined that a representative body that can advise the parliament and government of the day on laws and policies that affect them is the most meaningful step the nation can take at this time.
“I hope this article, which covers a few of the foundation questions I’m most often asked, will equip people to play an active role in ensuring that family, friends and colleagues can make an informed decision later this year at the ballot box. Because, as the Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians, Julian Leeser, said recently: ‘We have to get this right because the prospect of failure is unthinkable.’”
Read Mark's comment article and Q&A here.
