Lidia Thorpe and Pauline Hanson have been forced to team up with other supporters of the “no” campaign for the Voice to Parliament vote, as they unite to construct an essay outlining their views.
The Greens senator and One Nation senator, along with other members of the Coalition, will have to navigate an obscure process to write a pamphlet which will be sent to all homes for the referendum.
The Australian Electoral Commission is seeking advice from all politicians to give guidance on the essays for the pamphlet, but tensions are already rising as senators have to decide among themselves how to navigate competing ideas and write one argument for each side.
A short 28-day deadline has already began for the essays, with the writings for each side of the campaign having to present their main argument behind their “yes” or “no” vote in less than 2000 words.
The essays for both sides will then be compiled by the AEC into an information pamphlet, which will be sent out in the months before the referendum.
The committee of those voting no will be dominated by the Coalition, but also includes One Nation, UAP’s Ralph Babet, and former Greens senator Thorpe.
The yes side is dominated by Labor but also includes the Greens, the “teal” independents, David Pocock, and the Jacqui Lambie Network, as well as some Liberals.
Hanson’s office said she would “fight tooth and nail” for input into the pamphlet, noting One Nation was the first party in parliament to officially oppose the referendum.
Thorpe’s office also told Guardian Australia she would seek to contribute to the no essay.
Resolving the views of Thorpe and Hanson, at polar extremes of the voice debate, into one essay is set to be a major challenge for the no committee, with the two senators having to agree on their views over the vote before it can be signed off on.
Albanese said the pamphlet would be “one thing that [voters] consider” but also pointed to the government’s referendum education campaigns, saying some Australians didn’t know much about the constitution, and education over the matter was key before Aussies cast their vote later this year.
Yes23 campaign director Dean Parkin said that the continued education over the Voice to Parliament vote, such as the information pamphlet presenting both sides, will help Aussies make an informed decision.
“This referendum is about uniting and bringing all Australians together, and that’s where our efforts will be focused over the coming months. We have a lot of faith in the decency of Australian people, and we know they want outcomes to be better for us, and want to see practical change. The voice is the means for us to do that.”
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