Australia will bring “shame” on the country in the eyes of the world if it votes No to the constitutional referendum, according to Indigenous leader Noel Pearson.
As the campaign heads into its final week, Mr Pearson has warned that voters faced a “moral choice”.
In the wake of two new polls suggesting the No vote will prevail, he warned voters need to reflect on how that outcome will be judged by history.
“My message to them this week is that this is a moral choice for the country,’’ Noel Pearson said.
“This is not just a question of constitutional law. This is not just a question of the benefits that will flow to Indigenous people and the country on the Voice and making a positive choice to vote yes. It’s about the morality of the country.”
Mr Pearson is a lawyer and founder of the Cape York Partnership, an organisation promoting the economic and social development of Cape York.
He is also the Founder of Good to Great Schools Australia an organisation dedicated to lifting education outcomes for all Australian students.
In a speech today to private school students he will warn what happens next if the No vote claims victory.
“It’s time to talk about the morality of the choices facing us as Australians. One choice will bring us pride and hope and a belief in one another,’ he said.
“And the other will, I think, turn us backwards and bring shame to the country.”
According to the latest Newspoll, support for the Voice to parliament has fallen further heading into the final week of the campaign.
Just one in three of voters are now backing the proposed constitutional change and the bad news for the Yes campaign is that scepticism is even infecting the youth vote.
The exclusive Newspoll conducted for The Australian shows support for the Yes case now stands at 34 per cent – a 2 per cent drop in the last fortnight – as the campaign enters its final days.
The No vote has risen two points to 58 per cent. However, that result allows for 8 per cent of undecided votes to be parked in the “not sure” pile.
Mr Pearson argues a No vote will be as ugly as sin, like a six-year-old being turned away from a birthday party.
“This is an absolutely a critical historical and ethical choice that we have,’’ he said.
“We needed to answer the questions about the constitutional safety of what we’re doing. And we’ve done that uphill and down now.
“It’s time to turn to the historical significance of what we’re doing and the choice we have is not equivalent.
“Yes and no, are not equivalent choices. Yes, it’s of a different quality to No. Yes, is a moral choice and no would be a travesty for the country and we will possibly never live it down.”
Mr Pearson said a No vote will be something that will form part of our history.
“We will look ourselves in the mirror and we will see who we are, and it will not be a good picture for us,’’ he said.
Speaking on Sunrise, host Natalie Barr opened an interview by referencing the latest polls, telling the PM, “It’s all over for the Yes campaign?”.
But Mr Albanese didn’t agree, replying: “Not at all”.
“We have five days to go before people have the opportunity to examine the opportunity before them,” he said.
“We knew when I stood up and spoke about these issues, that it is hard to get a referendum up in Australia.
“But if you don’t run in the field, I think I said at the time, then you don’t win the grand final. We’re on the field and we are taking up the request of Indigenous Australians.”
Mr Pearson also backed the Prime Minister’s decision to rule out legislating a Voice to Parliament if the referendum fails.
“Why not have that as a plan B?,’’ ABC host Sabra Lane asked.
“Oh no, he’s made the correct call there,’’ Mr Pearson replied.
“I mean, if the Australian people vote against the Voice this weekend, then that is the instruction of the Australian people, and the Parliament and Government should follow that.
“If you want a Voice, then a yes vote this weekend is our only chance of getting it. All of the benefits that flow from that, can only come with a yes vote.”