July Newsletter

If it’s OK to lie, where is the truth?

Did you know it’s perfectly legal to tell lies during the Voice referendum campaign?

(Just like it’s perfectly legal to tell lies during a Federal election campaign)
 

We have Federal laws to stop businesses from misleading advertising about their products, BUT no such laws exist for federal elections or referendum campaigns. 

Experts say these laws are coming, but not in time for the Voice to Parliament referendum to be held before the end of the year.

The official Yes and No cases for the referendum were recently published on the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) website. See here 

The words for each were ‘provided by the majority of federal Members of Parliament and Senators who voted for or against the proposed law to alter the Constitution…’
 

However, because there is no requirement to be truthful, information in both Yes and No pamphlets was not fact-checked or amended by the AEC.

So what can be done?

The good news is that several media outlets have ‘fact checking’ units or partner with university researchers. 

Do your own fact checking by asking 3 simple questions:

(image from aap.com.au )

RMIT University in partnership with the ABC have fact checked the official Yes and No pamphlets here
 

Lecturers at Monash University Faculty of Law have also produced an article debunking 10 myths and misconceptions around the Voice to parliament referendum. See here 

As Craig Foster (former Socceroo and NSW Australian of the Year for 2023) said at a public forum in Mackellar recently:

‘Democracy is about us having access to the truth.’

Still more questions? Email us at info@voicesofmackellar.org.au.

We’re not experts but we may be able to direct you to resources to help build a well informed position before you vote on Referendum Day.

Other updates:

Our youth mental health crisis was front page news recently with local MP Dr. Sophie Scamps calling for the resignation of Northern Beaches Hospital CEO if a youth mental health unit is not running by Christmas. Read more here 

Voice to Parliament Forum recording Dr. Sophie Scamps MP hosted a community forum on the Voice to Parliament last week. You can watch the recording here

Other events:

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Voices of Mackellar is a not for profit organisation that is 100% funded by community donations and run by volunteers. If you would like to support our work, a donation would be greatly appreciated and will go towards administrative and advertising costs, as well as our upcoming events! We appreciate your generosity and could not do this work without your support.

Voices of Mackellar

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Voices of Mackellar acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we live and work on, the Garigal Clan of the Guringai People. We pay respects to their elders past, present and emerging, and acknowledge sovereignty was never ceded.

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