Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney says she’s been subject to racism during Voice campaign

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney says she's been subject to racism and bullying ahead of Australians voting on the Voice to Parliament proposal.

Transcript

00:00 This all happened at a media alerted event this morning in Sydney.

00:07 Cameras were on and filming Linda Burney handing out pamphlets as part of the Yes campaign

00:15 alongside New South Wales Premier Chris Mins.

00:19 Chris Mins then said to Linda Burney, posed the question, had she been doing a lot of

00:24 travelling in the lead up to the referendum in just over four weeks time, in which in

00:30 her response she reflected on recent months and recent sitting weeks in particular, saying

00:37 the experience has been gruelling and her treatment appalling.

00:43 Minister Burney has been subject to consistent questioning in recent weeks, in particular

00:48 during question time from the opposition about the shape of the voice, how it will operate,

00:54 and of course coming as we grow ever closer to referendum day.

00:58 In a statement since these comments were caught on camera, she says that she's confirmed that

01:05 her office has been subject to ongoing racist emails, calls, messages in recent months.

01:17 She says while racism does take its toll, she's not going to let it have any impact

01:22 or weaken or diminish her resolve to see Australia vote yes on the question of recognising Aboriginal

01:30 Australians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders through a voice in the constitution.

01:36 Have you been doing a lot of travelling?

01:39 Unbelievable.

01:40 We've just finished two weeks of filming.

01:41 It's just unbelievable and racist and bullying.

01:42 The way they treat me as a poor woman.

01:54 There won't be any additional parliamentary sittings in the next four weeks.

01:59 Yesterday's question time and yesterday in its totality being the last sitting day before

02:03 Australians go to the polls for the first time in terms of a referendum in some two

02:08 decades.

02:09 There's yes campaigns being held across the country today in capital cities with politicians

02:15 at those, be they media conferences, speeches or handing out of campaign material.

02:22 We're expecting the no campaign to do likewise and that to step up in frequency in the next

02:27 four weeks or so.

02:30 And Minister Burney also this morning making comments about how audiences' viewing patterns

02:36 have changed and how that might have some influence on them picking up on advertising

02:41 on their free to air channels and reading of news as well.

02:48 Her saying that the campaign will ramp up and we're expecting advertising and yes and

02:55 no core flutes becoming more prominent as we get ever closer to the vote on October

03:02 14 as Australians turn their mind to that.

03:05 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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