DEAR News Of The Area,

IT IS timely for Anonymous (NOTA 23/6) to mention the Magna Carta.

It was signed 808 years ago in a field at Runnymede near England’s Windsor Castle.

It arrived in Australia in 1788, and introduced the Rule of Law into this country.

It marked the beginning of the doctrine of equality of citizenship.

It marked the beginning of the long struggle to build a nation based on the principle we are all equal regardless of race, religion or political affiliation.

This principle could be rendered meaningless unless it is accompanied by two other ideas: equality before those who make the law and equality before those who administer it.

This principle raises questions about the upcoming referendum on the Indigenous Voice, and whether it erodes the rule of law.

The Voice amounts to a direct attack on equality of citizenship – the principle that the views of every citizen are of equal value when it comes to governing this nation.

The Voice will give Indigenous voters a second say on public policy issues of general application as everything will affect ATSI people as much as the general population.

Such a second say is not available to other Australians.

This referendum should be rejected.

It is just wrong in principle.

We are being asked to abandon equality of citizenship – one of our most important values – in order to insert a divisive institution into our system of governance while having only a limited idea about its structure and powers, how it would change the business of government and the implications that could be read into the new provision by the High Court.

The principles of the Magna Carta have served this country well.

I thank Anonymous for alerting us to it again, and the strong link between it and the Australian Constitution and equality of citizenship.

Regards,
Peter WEYLING,
Corindi Beach.