Luke speaks with Emeritus Professor Ramesh Thakur from ANU on rejecting the race-based politics of the Voice referendum.

In a recent article for The Australian, Professor Thakur expressed his opposition to the voice referendum on both ethical and consequential grounds.

Identifying as a proud Australian of Indian heritage, he extended respect to both Aboriginal communities and the pioneers who contributed to Australia’s stable democracy, while emphasising the importance of equal citizenship and a multicultural society.

The Professor observed that globally, many individuals face disadvantage but respond differently.  Some fall into cycles of victimhood, while others transcend challenges through education and ambition.

He writes, ‘The number of successful Indigenous people across all sectors of Australian life has been growing. That is as much a reality of modern Australia as the persistent disadvantages and sorry statistics that continue to define Aboriginal life as “nasty, brutish and short”.’

‘Aboriginal leaders should forget the cheese of a voice and instead focus on escaping the trap of grievance-fuelling victimhood.’

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