More than 20 of Australia’s biggest sporting bodies have joined together to support the Voice to Parliament.
After weeks of announcements from the various organisations declaring their support for the Voice, league CEOs and former greats appeared in presentations in Sydney and Melbourne to make a united declaration.
The event’s main purpose was to reveal an open letter to ‘Australian sports fans’, and includes as co-signees officials from the AFL, NRL, Cricket Australia, Rugby Australia, and representatives from golf, football, basketball, tennis and netball, even reaching as far as taekwondo and Deaf Sport Australia.
Also in attendance were a host of legends of Australian sport, including Indigenous icons Eddie Betts (AFL) and Jason Gillespie (cricket), and current Australian national rugby league head coach Mal Meninga and basketball great Andrew Gaze.
“I feel privileged,” Meninga said on Friday of his role in the open letter.
“I think it’s a celebration and it’s a significant issue in Australian history.
“I can’t see anything wrong with it – listening to the voice of the First Nations people. Learning from them and learning from their past and taking action with them.
“This is not a case of doing this for them or on behalf of them. It’s about taking action with them and I think that’s generally how we operate in spot.
“You bring your team along with you. You act collectively to achieve success. I can see great benefit in it.
“If you know your history, this should have been done 100 years ago.”
The letter reads:
Dear Sports Fans of Australia,
We, the representatives of leading sport organisations in Australia, come together to make this statement to all Australians who love their sport:
Sport has always served as a unifying force for our diverse Australian society.
Regardless of where we come from or what we believe in, sport brings people together in the spirit of achievement, community and celebration.
Moreover, sport plays a significant role in reconciling Australia.
It has long been a means for the inclusion and celebration of the incredible achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
This year, all Australians will have their say in a referendum to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.
We, as a collective, support recognition through a Voice.
We believe our nation can achieve this profound recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the first peoples of our country, in our Constitution.
And that we should do that by ensuring Indigenous Australians have a meaningful say in shaping their own future.
We commit to using our platforms to lead conversations that promote respect, trust and goodwill between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
We commit to improving education and understanding among the Australians who play, administer and watch our sports.
We encourage all Australians who love sport to listen with an open heart and an open mind through this historic moment.
We respect that everyone is entitled to reach their own decision come the referendum.
Together we share a vision for the future as a nation that values equity, fairness and the rights of the Traditional Custodians of our land.
The land on which we play, love and celebrate sport in Australia.”
Pop
Roar Rookie
Rowdy, so taxpayers today should be responsible for what happened 200 years ago. ? An apology wasn’t enough, then the voice, then a treaty then SOVEREIGNTY . Whatever that means. Enough will never be enough as already has been shown.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
FIFA doesn't get any bribe money, the bribes go to the national representatives especially those who held positions on the executive commitee now the council. Its the reverse FIFA money was misused , especially that money which went to confederations, the worst corruption was in North America with the American Chuck Blazer stealing income in that confederation. In the case of Qatar the bribes extended to multi billion deals with governments like France. Australia bid had some computers for South African students, some facility in Trinidad , handing out pearl necklaces worth a few thousand was the one thing that went to the national representatives. In the case of Qatar just for the vote for the presidency which is conducted by all 200+ delegates they had envelopes with 40k. The bribery for the executive committee members was in the millions. So Australias pearl necklaces were clearly outgunned even if the gift was a bribe. Even the English bid by staging an English international in the Carribean where Warners son exclusive rights to the tickets effectively paid a bigger bribe than that. Top professional sports in the world dont rely on government money. They build their own stadiums and training facilities.
Rosie
Roar Rookie
You can always go down the Covid rabbit hole as a recent example.
Rosie
Roar Rookie
Change is fine, but does it make any sense? Are we going to move forward as one country or a divided one?
Rosie
Roar Rookie
So it’s just virtue signaling?
Birdy
Roar Rookie
Are you talking about woke as it was meant to be or the politicized version we have today?
Nick
Roar Rookie
Why? The democratic process invites opinions from groups and individuals. Either you don't understand democracy or you just don't like democracy.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
So they gave their Indigenous a voice and they paid for what they did wrong? What a terrible thing to do.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Well, seeing that it is the #1 sport in the land a per capita division of sport money is appropriate. I remember the Federal government paying, ahem, a bribe to FIFA.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I’ll raise you a Spanish Inquisition and the dragging of a dead Pope thru the streets. The latter in the late 9th C.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I don't read that Pop in what's proposed?
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
As opposed to the unhinged Right?
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
No, he's a good contributor. We all need a laff.
Garry
Roar Rookie
Elsewhere, the NT Central Land Council has come out swinging after Senator Price appeared in an advertisement backing the ‘no’ campaign against an Indigenous Voice, saying she did not speak for or listen to it. “She needs to stop pretending we are her people,” Central Land Council deputy chair Warren Williams, from Yuendumu, said in a statement on Thursday.
Bretto
Roar Rookie
Oh no - not the Christians being persecuted. Those poor things have never persecuted anyone! Bring back the lions!
Bretto
Roar Rookie
Absolute rubbish Naughty, total rot. Disingenuous or just plain ignorant.
Bretto
Roar Rookie
Hi Duncan - would it be OK if all sporting bodies came out and said we shouldn't murder kittens?
Pop
Roar Rookie
CANADA’s REPARATIONS TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES. This is a model of where the Australian VOICE to parliament could go. Imagine the REPARATIONS to indigenous Australians impacted by the STOLEN GENERATION. “Ottawa: Canada will pay hundreds of Indigenous communities more than $2 billion in compensation for nearly a century of abuse suffered by children in residential schools, its government has announced.22 Jan 2023”.
Nick
Roar Rookie
You are really struggling to understand the boundaries and limits of not just the Voice, but quite possibly the boundaries of Parliament and the High Court. I'd urge you to brush up on your political science.
Nick
Roar Rookie
How does the voice possibly permit that? It doesn't create legislation, it doesn't pass legislation.