VOICE REFERENDUM CASE STUDY

By skillfully intertwining these elements, Dutton presents himself as the voice of the majority non-Indigenous population, advocating against the Referendum as a threat to citizenship and equality. His strategic approaches not only bolster his political capital but also paint him as a transformative figure within the Liberal Party. Therefore, this analysis of the Lingiari Voice Referendum reveals how Dutton was able to navigate a complex social and political landscape such as the misrepresentation of Stewart Lingiari’s views on the Voice, representing the campaign’s poor understanding of Indigenous kinship structures, and the stark separation between the communities living in Alice Spring and remote Northern territories, to finally emerge as a leader, claiming to safeguard national unity and economic stability by appealing to the privileged while undermining the potential gains of Indigenous communities. 

Now that the penalties and problems have been discussed, the concept of affect can be debated in terms of emotional labor, which appears to be a core of activist burnout (Gorski & Chen, 2015; Hochschild, 1983). With a population of 63,000, the dreams of people in Lingiari are as similar to any other person in other Indigenous communities, but the presence of environmental concerns and constant traditional landowner battles with the government, alongside poor health and educational outcomes results in the community giving up on the newer initiatives to work for dole systems as political parties fail to promise actual change, regardless of who wins (Davidson, 2016). But despite the burnout, 11,000 Aboriginal individuals are still observed voting Yes due to surface acting (Beazley, 2023; Hochschild, 1983). “Media always focus on the Indigenous side because it’s so different and unique to anywhere else in Australia,” Country Liberal Party challenger, Tina MacFarlane states (Davidson, 2016). With such sentiments resonating true even today, First Nation individuals are forced to express positive views in public, hiding negative ones to enhance the message of “we can change what happens going forward” (Beazley, 2023).  However, these efforts were not enough, as the majority of the Northern Territory seat of Lingiari is observed to be filled with individuals living in Alice Springs, Katherine, and Tennant Creek who looked glad to have voted No to support the Liberal party. This could be because of the second emotional labor strategy called deep acting (Hochschild, 1983). 

Benefitting from the Liberal party in the past, undecided non-Indigenous individuals who appeared to lack awareness regarding the Voice, piggybacked on the “Don’t know? Vote No” message, supporting the agenda of Dutton and Price from the Liberal Party. Knowing the harm Labor did to their businesses with the live export ban, non-Indigenous people saw the Liberal Party as the silver lining to their problems as the Coalition positively rendered their $100m promise for the Outback Way by aiding cattle trucks and tourists (Davidson, 2016). Thus, hearing Dutton’s position against the Voice, serving the greater good of their country, non-Indigenous people engaged in cognitive change, reframing the situation as an opportunity to improve Australia’s process of genuinely resolving the issue without fragmentation. When leading No advocate and Bundjalung man Warren Mundine said, “This is a referendum that we should have never had because it was built on the lie that Aboriginal people do not have a voice,” the non-Indigenous people believed it (Ritchie, 2023). Therefore, Victorian Yes campaigner Marcus Stewart was right when stating that the No voters had no malicious intention. “They have not voted No because they’re racist… They have voted No because I think there’s a better pathway than constitutional enshrinement” (Wellaueur et al., 2023). Proving Hochschild's (1983) point correctly that the No voters conveyed genuine and sincere intention when addressing the sensitive issue of Aboriginal rights. Therefore, by alleviating emotional dissonance by aligning internal experiences with societal expectations, non-Indigenous voters engaged with the deep-acting strategy of emotional labor. However, long-term usage could cause them to dissociate from their feelings, causing burnout and emotional exhaustion (Hochschild, 1983; Grandey, 2000; Grandey, 2003). 

Therefore, by understanding emotional labor, one can suggest that Dutton gains power from the No Vote in the Voice Referendum by appealing to non-Indigenous concerns, framing the issue as an opportunity for improvement without fragmentation. Voters, influenced by figures like Warren Mundine, align with Dutton’s anti-Voice stance, further engaging in cognitive change and emotional labor to support the Liberal Party’s agenda.



5. Salience:

The democratic theory states that when an issue is considered salient to the public, the government is catalyzed to take appropriate initiatives to be more responsive to its citizens (Dahl, 1956; Page & Shapiro, 1983). In response, residents are obliged to consider the elected officials’ actions on election day (Arnold, 1990, Jones, 1994). However, it is crucial to understand that at a time, there can only be a few issues that are salient to the legislature and the public, guaranteeing high responsiveness (Jones, 1994). 

In this scenario, Dutton and Price take advantage of the low salience presented by the media to showcase the insignificance of the Voice in comparison to the ongoing issues presented elsewhere in the world. In a world that is divided via race, Dutton had no difficulty declaring a “resounding No” to Prime Minister Albanese's divisive plan that presents itself as a regressive and racial threat to the democratic landscape of Australia (Clarke, 2023; Visentin & Massola, 2023). Opposition Leader Peter Dutton states, “We advocate plurality, not apartheid. We want differences of all kinds to be respected whilst always avoiding separatism. (Visentin & Massola, 2023). 

Additionally, due to low salience, No campaigners profit from the widespread misinformation spread across media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) where 246,000 tweets regarding the Voice were posted between March and May of 2023 (Brancatisano, 2023). Although there were five times the number of Yes voters in comparison to No voters, it was noted that the No campaigners were amplifying their attempts to criticize and mock the Yes campaign by stemming conspiracy theories regarding the proposed constitutional amendment (Brancatisano, 2023). Timothy Graham, an associate professor in digital media at Queensland University of Technology observed a “vicious feedback loop” where Yes campaigners moved from shaping their campaign narrative to “fighting the No campaign on their front” (Brancatisano, 2023). 

In conclusion, the Voice Referendum in Lingiari emerges as a complex case study where Peter Dutton, as the lead speaker of the No campaign, strategically navigates the landscape of emotional labor, salience, policy entrepreneur, and causal narratives to position himself as a transformative figure within the Liberal Party. Leveraging emotional labor, Dutton taps into the sentiments of non-Indigenous voters, framing the Referendum as an opportunity for improvement without fragmentation. He exploits the low salience of the Voice Referendum, diverting attention from pressing scenarios like Israel’s attack on Gaza to solidify his narrative. As a policy entrepreneur, Dutton strategically disseminates information and fosters ideas, using important figures like Jacinta Nampijinpa Price to appeal to fears of inequality and separation. 

Furthermore, Dutton crafts a causal story, attributing blame to the Labor Party for potential division and economic miseries. By interlinking these elements, Dutton positions himself as a voice of the majority, advocating against the referendum as a threat to citizenship and equality. This analysis helps shed light on the misrepresentation of Stewart Lingiari’s views, a challenge that the No campaign had to face due to their poor understanding of Indigenous communities, and the stark separation of views from communities belonging to Alice Springs and the remote Nothern regions. 

Ultimately, Dutton’s strategic approaches bolster his political capital, portraying himself as a proactive leader who tackles national unity issues. However, this analysis will present the hardship faced by Indigenous people, the impact emotional labor has on voter behavior, and the power misinformation has in shaping public opinion. As Lingiari continues to navigate these dynamics, the Voice Referendum serves as a critical case report of political maneuvering and its implications on Indigenous rights and national unity.




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