A year has passed since the ill-fated voice referendum. In that time, and indeed in the time leading up to the referendum itself, I repeatedly expressed my views. There was so much that was wrong with the process, that was dehumanising, and that was distressing about the entire situation. But while Indigenous community members have had to pick up the pieces, regroup and begin discussions about the way forward, the majority of Australia has maintained the status quo.

The voice was never going to be a silver bullet. No matter how much the Albanese government attempted to sell it as such, the reality was that what was on the table was a smidgen better than nothing. Despite this, the proposal was still a bridge too far for the majority of Australians when it came to recognising the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

I don’t want to revisit the time and the fallout. It is depressing to recall just how readily vast proportions of the Australian public allow themselves to absorb misinformation campaigns, or how readily they see Indigenous people gaining a bit more than “no power” as an existential threat. As I have been clear too, the misinformation was not just in the no camp – the yes camp were more than willing to paint themselves as champions for anti-racism when the reality was that any reform to actually conquer racism in Australia was not on the table. It was window dressing, plain and simple.

I do, though, at........

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