Pilbara councils take neutral position on Voice to Parliament

Multiple Pilbara Councils have confirmed they will remain neutral on constitutional recognition and an Indigenous Voice to Parliament as the referendum date gets confirmed for October 14. In response to a question during the August ordinary council meeting, Town of Port Hedland chief executive Carl Askew said the council would not take a position on the Voice. “The Town doesn’t have a position — it won’t be promoting a Yes or a No vote,” he said. Mr Askew has since confirmed to the North West Telegraph that the Town of Port Hedland will not support a position as it encouraged residents to engage in the democratic process and come to their own decision. “The Town of Port Hedland has not taken a position on the Voice to Parliament and there is no motion before council to formally do so,” he said. “We support democratic decision-making, which is the purpose of a referendum. We encourage our community to make informed decisions and engage in respectful conversations on the subject.” The City of Karratha has also confirmed it will not take an official position on the referendum. A City spokesperson said while the topic had been discussed, the council determined it would not take an overarching stance on the matter. “The City of Karratha Council has not formally considered a position on the Voice to Parliament referendum,” they said. “Councillors have discussed the matter informally and are of the view that as it is an individual decision, an umbrella stance would be inappropriate.” The Shire of East Pilbara also confirmed it would remain neutral. Shire president Anthony Middleton said the council would help residents make an informed decision. “Council is not advocating a position in favour or against in the referendum question on a proposed Voice to Parliament,” he said. “The Shire will take a role in facilitating fact-based information sharing to assist community members make informed decisions in this referendum.” In Victoria, 16 councils endorsed a Yes vote and 63 others decided to remain neutral. The West Australian recently reported how the WA Nationals had decided to withdraw support for the Voice at the party’s State Conference. The North West Telegraph reached out to the the Shire of Ashburton and the Shire of Exmouth but did not receive a response at the time of print.