Airline giant Qantas will now fly with the Australian “Yes” campaign in support of altering the country’s Constitution.
Three aircraft will be emblazoned with the “Yes23” campaign logo—a significant coup for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament proposal.
A Qantas Boeing 737, QantasLink Dash 8 turboprop, and a Jetstar Airbus A320 will all bear the logo in the lead-up to the upcoming October referendum.
The federal Labor government-backed referendum will enshrine an independent advisory body into Parliament, as well as recognition for Indigenous people in the preamble of the Constitution.
The national carrier has joined a chorus of corporate support for The Voice, alongside major companies like Wesfarmers, Woolworths, and mining giant Rio Tinto. A survey by the Australian Financial Review found 14 of the 20 top ASX companies supported the movement.
“We believe a formal voice to the government will help close the gap for First Nations people in important areas like health, education, and employment,” Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce announced on Aug. 14 in Sydney.
“We know there are a range of views on this issue, including amongst our customers and employees, and we respect that. I encourage people to find out more, to listen to First Nations voices, and to make their own decisions,” added Joyce.
Move Praised By Prime Minister
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised the move and commended Qantas for their efforts towards reconciliation since the 1960s.“Qantas has shown the importance of extending ourselves, of reaching higher,” he said. “The spirit of Australia says ‘Yes’ because this will assist reconciliation in a practical way. By listening to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on matters that affect them, we can improve lives. That’s what the voice will do.”
Major bank Westpac has also vowed to support the Yes vote, along with supermarket giant Coles, which has started printing the “Acknowledgement to Country” on customers’ sales receipts.
Yet Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has called out the companies for attempting to garner popularity by giving money to the Yes campaign, often to the tune of millions.
The corporate Yes campaign is floundering at a time when corporations embrace the environment, social and governance movement, a situation which has drawn backlash from conservatives.
Coalition Split on The Voice
While the Liberals and National parties do agree with Labor on Indigenous people being recognised in the Constitution, the Coalition is opposed to embedding a permanent Voice advisory body into the Parliament.Mr. Dutton has, however, backed a “legislated local and regional voices” proposal if the referendum fails.
Yet Nationals Leader David Littleproud disagrees.
“We’re all equal. There are 227 voices here in the Australian Parliament representing all 26 million Australians, no matter their colour, no matter their creed, no matter their religion. And we take that seriously,” said Littleproud in Parliament.
Differing views within the Liberal Party have split some of the Coalitions’ opposition to the legislation.
“The potential rewards outweigh the potential risks,” says New South Wales Opposition Liberal Leader Mark Speakman in an announcement of his support for The Voice.
He says Indigenous people are the most disadvantaged in the nation.
Meanwhile, WA’s Opposition Liberal Leader Libby Mettam has changed her tune on The Voice, stating she will now be voting No after witnessing the scrapping of the state’s Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act.
“From the very start, Labor’s Aboriginal Cultural Heritage laws have been flawed—rushed through Parliament to botched implementation,” said Ms. Mettam in a social media post on X (formerly known as Twitter).
WA’s Cultural Heritage Act and Parallels With The Voice
Conservatives have often drawn parallels between WA’s Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act and The Voice. Ms. Mettam acknowledges the difference in legislation but says there is a similarity in the government’s lack of details on the proposed laws.“This is a huge backflip from (Premier) Roger Cook and an even bigger win from all those Western Australians who stood up and voiced their concerns,” said Ms. Mettam.
Northern Territory Senator and Indigenous woman Jacinta Price, a vocal opponent of The Voice and “Welcome to Country” announcements, says this is the most divisive referendum the nation has seen.
Conservatives are also concerned that The Voice could be a trojan horse for a more alarming political agenda, with concerns that several advocates of the proposal are sympathetic to the Communist Party of Australia.
However, proponents of the constitutional amendment, like Labor Senator and Indigenous elder Pat Dodson have said, “If we pass this referendum, we’ll be a better country. There’s no doubt about that.”
“It’s time for us to shift this axis of the relationship that we’ve had to date. Why shouldn’t the First Nations people secure a formal structure for which it can provide advice to the Parliament and the government on matters which affect them?” Dodson said.
Plans for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament come from the Uluru Statement from the Heart. The referendum on The Voice is expected to happen between October and December.
