Prominent Voice campaigner for the Yes vote, Marcia Langton, clarified that her comments about the No case being rooted in racism and stupidity were aimed at the arguments presented during the campaign, not the voters themselves. During a forum in Bunbury, Western Australia, on September 10, Ms. Langton stated that every argument put forth by the No campaign was “substantially false” and that when those arguments were examined closely, they ultimately boiled down to racism or sheer stupidity. Her remarks were made in response to questions about potential compensation for Aboriginal Australians if the referendum succeeded. Ms. Langton emphasized that established judges have described the referendum question as “safe, sound, robust, and practical,” contrary to the position taken by Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Senator Jacinta Price. She urged people to consider who they choose to take advice from.
Deputy Leader of the Opposition Sussan Ley called on Minister of Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, to condemn Ms. Langton for her accusations against No voters. Ms. Burney emphasized the need for respectful and considerate conduct among all involved in the referendum, stating that racism has no place in the country. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton also raised the issue in Parliament, criticizing Ms. Burney and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for not denouncing Ms. Langton’s comments. Ms. Ley characterized the labeling of No advocates as racist or stupid by Ms. Langton as a “deplorables moment” and a revealing glimpse into the mindset of the Yes campaign. Mr. Albanese referred to media reports revealing instructions given to No campaign volunteers that they should not immediately disclose their affiliation and should instead highlight the possibility of financial compensation if the referendum succeeded. He stated that this demonstrated the dishonest and divisive strategy of the No campaign. The No campaign denied these allegations, asserting that volunteers were instructed to identify themselves as calling from the organization.
Following media coverage and discussions in Parliament, Ms. Langton denied calling No voters racist and stupid, suggesting that the headlines had been manipulated to portray her in a racist light. She reiterated that she is not a racist and does not believe the majority of Australians are either, but she believes the No campaigners are employing racist tactics. Ms. Langton expressed her intention to seek legal advice and requested the removal of a social media post by Mr. Dutton that contained the original headlines. Meanwhile, Mr. Dutton asserted that Australians are genuinely concerned about the potential ramifications of Labor’s Voice proposal, which he described as the biggest constitutional change in the country’s history, and called on the Prime Minister to condemn Ms. Langton’s comments.