The Voice wins a huge celebrity endorsement from an American rapper – prompting furious backlash from No camp: ‘Fix your own country’
American rapper MC Hammer, famous for his hit ‘U Can’t Touch This’, has waded into Australia’s Voice to Parliament debate.
Hammer has spent time ‘reading articles’ and ‘getting up to speed’ about the October 14 referendum, and wants his Australian fans to support a Yes vote.
‘Australia, it’s time. Repair the breach. I’m with you.’
Hammer noted Australia ‘has no treaty with its Indigenous people and has done little in comparison to other British dominions like Canada, New Zealand and the United States to include and uplift its First Nations people’.
Hammer has spent time ‘reading articles’ and ‘getting up to speed’ about the October 14 referendum, and wants his Australian fans to support a Yes vote
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson was among critics – responding with a video of activist Thomas Mayo titled: ‘exposed – the not so secret true agenda’
He credits outspoken Yes advocate Professor Megan Davis and her work educating people about the Voice.
Quoting Davis, he said: ‘A successful referendum will set a precedent that will be ‘really useful for other indigenous populations around the world in relation to recognition’.
Ms Davis worked alongside the government to help create the referendum question, and was caught up in the debate over the length of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
After Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described concerns the statement was actually longer than the initially stated one page as a ‘QAnon conspiracy’, footage resurfaced of Professor Davis describing it as an 18-page document.
Hammer taking a stance on a contentious Australian issue has divided the political world.
Hammer taking a stance on a contentious Australian issue has divided the political world
Australians will vote in the referendum on October 14, to determine whether an Indigenous Voice to Parliament will be enshrined in our constitution
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson was among critics – responding with a video of activist Thomas Mayo titled: ‘exposed – the not so secret true agenda’.
She said: ‘Here is some more useful information for anyone interested in this referendum.’
‘Once again, Yes supporters seem bizarrely obsessed with getting attention from US celebrities. This isn’t a US election, this is an Australian referendum.’
Others urged Hammer to ‘fix his own country first’ and argued he was advocating a proposal which would ‘divide another country along racial lines’.
‘Seriously, you have no idea. Australia is not the US,’ another critic said.
Similar criticisms were levelled against Shaquille O’Neal and Mr Albanese after the basketball legend also backed the Voice following a meeting with the PM in August 2022.
The PM hit back, saying: ‘I make no apologies for saying I’ll engage with anyone, anywhere, anytime, about these issues. And anything we can do to raise the profile of this issue is a good thing.’
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal (centre) is pictured with Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney (left) and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (right)
Hammer said the backlash was to be expected, and argued there is ‘one Earth’.
‘Politics are no longer domestic. The World is inextricably linked… I cannot avoid your politics… We have a responsibility one towards another.’
But others thanked MC Hammer for using his platform to draw attention to the referendum.