The Chaser Report - Google That Voice Referendum Thing | Briggs

Episode Date: October 12, 2023

Senator Briggs joins Charles and Dom ahead of the referendum this weekend to talk about how the campaign has been for him, the importance of the Voice getting up, and what it was like to "live in No." Briggs encourages everyone to have those conversations with people you know who are on the fence, and get them through to the right side of the vote. You can watch Briggs' video with Vic and Jenna here! Vote Yes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Chaser Report is recorded on Gatigal Land. Striving for mediocrity in a world of excellence, this is The Chaser Report. Hello and welcome to The Chaser Report with Dom and Charles and very special episode today, Dom. Yes, we have the Senator himself, Senator Briggs, Yorta, man, rap legend with AB original, comedy legend, of course, with Black Comedy and The Weekly. The man who's been absolutely everywhere throughout the Yes campaign and even took time to educate Vic Zerfs and Jenna Owen. I know you've worked a lot with Charles

over the years, also known as the contact tracies in the past, by suggesting that they Google before they vote. A suggestion that really got a lot of traction. A lot of people I think haven't thought of that. Yes, yes, I know. Well, it's interesting that no campaign's whole caseline has been

we want more detail, but no one thought to then look into the detail. Who knows, if you try to look into it, who knows how you'll vote. Briggs will join us after this. Yeah, what's going on? Hi, it's Charles and Dom. Thank you so much for joining us.

What's happening? Well, you've basically set the world alight with that video you made with our friends, Vic and Janna. What's the reaction been like from your perspective? I think it's resonated with people because that's the conversations that people are having, you know? And I think that's been like the feedback to me. Like, oh my God, I had that conversation, you know, with my mom.

or had that conversation with my friends at the pub or, you know what I mean? So it struck a nerve because it's the truth. You must have driven a lot of traffic to Google. I should give you shares or something. Well, get anything out of them. Just some like some facts would be nice, but maybe they'll do like one of those little Google, you know, doodle drawings or whatever and commemorate the video. One of the things that were so beautiful about the video was just how, how patient you were.

So what about the voice doesn't make sense? It's like, just, you know, what would be far enough? What are your thoughts? I've heard that it could divide the nation. How? Okay, so I have read something online about just the nature of democracy in general. Yes, because it's patronising to Indigenous people, and I would hate to patronise an Indigenous person.

It doesn't go far enough, but then it also goes too far. Yes. Because democracy. Have you Googled it? It just made me think this has been the whole process, for you and so many First Nations people of just having to explain again and again and again and again and somehow not lose your shit. How do you do that?

How do you remain so patient and calm? That's a testament to my acting ability. It's great. You're putting everything into it. Yeah, I don't hang that kind of patience in your own. And is it true that there actually wasn't any script? It was just Vic and Jenna actually being themselves. I think the original truth to that.

No, you know, it's been a pretty testing time for a lot of Blackfellers. The weight of expectation and information and education has been put on Blackfellers once again, you know, like to do the heavy listening. And I think, like, that's one of the most frustrating things about, you know, yes versus no is the burden of, you know, explanation and to divulge detail is placed on the yes, where it's no. is just, no, you know, there's no outcome, there's no explanation, there's nothing, there's no vehicle, there's no mechanism that they provide to be like, no, we want to do it this way. It's just no. It does feel ironic, doesn't it, that it's come to so many yes

campaigners, and particularly, as you say, First Nations people, to explain in great detail using their voices, why their voices and explanations should be listened to at all. Irony is never lost on me. It's fun. You know, there's so much misinformation out there It got so complicated. Like, that's why I reached out to mass to make something because I was like, we just need to debunk the comment section, you know, so people can stop spouting that it's a sci-op conspiracy and a UN land grab. Yeah.

What, are you saying the United Nations isn't going to run Australia if yes wins? Are you sure? Because I heard something on the internet. They couldn't happen fast enough if you asked me. You know, it's just bonkers. Like, how can, like, how do you get? there. How do you get to that point, you know, of your thinking that that makes sense? The United Nations track record are organising anything is not great, let alone a massive

land crab for the whole of Australia. Yeah. And so also like the 3% of Australia is holding off the UN, you know what I mean? Like our 3% of this quote unquote sovereignty is the only thing stopping the UNs and taking over Australia. I mean, it's really a big tribute to Indigenous Australians that you've managed to hold off the UN for so long. Yeah, it was like me, Eddie Betts, you know, Jonathan and Thurston, we're all on the front line in holding back the UN. Thank you for your service. One of the things you said, Briggs, that resonated with me most was when you talked about

living in no and how that's been the reality for you for your whole life. Can you tell us what that looks like? Give us a sense of what no means and what's on the table here from your perspective, given the life you've led and the way you've felt about growing up in Australia and trying to to get your voice heard. You know, Australia, I see a lot of comments from councillors and members of parliament and low-level bottom feeding politician journeymen and, you know, career uni students who were talking about how I'm Greek or I'm Italian or, well, and I come to Australia

and we built a life and it's like, yeah, mate, you built it on grades. Like that's where you built your life. And the other thing is you have Italy, you have Greece, you have a country to look to that is your sovereignty, that is your nation. It's like, you're on our nation right now. They can't comprehend that. And like, no, for me, it's like, like, I grew up in country of Victoria, in Shepardon. It's a one nation, national stronghold, you know, it is no country for old men in Shepardin.

Like, that is where I grew up. And so we're always, like, Aboriginal people have always given the fringe of that town. When the Comra gunger walk off happened, you know, we walked from Kamara to Marutna to the outskirts of Sheperden and it's where we stayed, you know, like even myself, like I'm a big shot now, you know what I mean? Yeah, I do all these things, you know, but they still struggle, like the town still struggles to recognize, you know, how they benefit from the presence of people like myself and my community that brings so much wealth and so much culture to the town and like that's what I mean when I thought I grew up in no it's like because my whole life I was told no you know act like us be like us you know like from from my early days in school to trying to get a job and and whatnot it's like I just grew up in this deficit and when you mentioned bringing culture to the town and the value that you and your mob add the now and forever

festival this event you just put together what a massive undertaking I mean you've been one of the busiest people involved in this whole thing. You've given this to your all. What was the festival like? It was amazing, man. All the work that myself and my production team, especially my lead, Steve and Christy Walker and Steve Smith, like these guys who took the ethos that I presented and held it down from birth to execution, you know, because that was the main thing that I wanted to get across. Like, this is not a political rally.

This is, like, I'm showing you what, what you. Yes, looks like what solidarity looks like, what working together and unity looks like. It wasn't my vision, it was our, it was our vision, our collective vision. Everyone who signed up to play on the day is someone that I admire and someone that I reached out to myself personally. Everyone who's on the bill I spoke to personally about being part and, you know, more people wanted to be part, but, you know, convincing the time means only, you know, we can only get the gods who we got.

But I feel like it was the best example of the kind of a country that I want to see. Yeah, it really felt like a moment of positivity amongst some very tough months for everyone on the yes side of this. I think as well, it's like, no no is easy.

No is, it's like it's a little bit scary, it's a little bit cool, it's contrarian, it's fun to tell the government no. You know what I mean? But it's like, you're not telling the government no. You're talking to Blackfollars. Blackfellers ask for this. This isn't Labor's voice. This is meant to be enshrined in the Constitution, so it lives beyond this current government. You know what I mean? So, you know, the positivity of what I wanted to bring is what people

engage with. I feel like people like to look and share, you know, the no and that kind of, the funny kind of contrarian outlet, but they truly engage, people truly engage better with positivity. And you can see that in the turnouts of between no and yes rally. Like, it is Noahad, Kamal and Angry Anderson, you know, and respect to them, but that's a shit show. And Lyle Shelton now. Lyle Shelton's on board. To lecture people like you about equality. The Chaser Report, now with extra whispers.

But also my son, who's 15, is on the TikTok all the time. And he just says, no, just floods every single comment. if it's nothing to do with the voice. There's just all these sort of people going, no, no, no, no. And he said it's so clearly just some sort of organised campaign. It's not, you're right. There's nothing joyous or organic. This idea that it's like some kind of, you know, the idea that the yes is funded by big dogs and it's like this commercial and the no is the underdog. They position it really well. Like, true to them, like their TikToks have been great. Like, they've done it really well.

I can't front. Like, I admire some marketing. You know what I mean? Well, I must say when I, because the first time I saw your video was, was on the TikTok, at first I thought, oh, is this some sort of clever no campaign? Like, it got me in on it being a no thing. And then it was like, oh, fucking, thank God there's finally a good TikTok. Yeah.

Briggs hasn't changed sight at the last minute. Well, yeah, I was wondering what the hell's going, what the hell's going on? So, yeah. No, it was very, I mean, it really did. I think it's, it's pivoted the campaign. Like, it's a real, you and Nathan Cleary. That's it. It's in the bag tomorrow. We do actually need you. One more comeback. You know what I mean? One more comeback from Nathan Cleary. But like the leadership, you know, the leadership that young man's shown, you know, is just, it's paramount. Like that is the kind of, you know, leadership. And like, people like, what's a celebrity know?

and what's a sportsman know, you know, like, what do they know about this? And it's like, man, it's just about sparking that idea that there is more to talk about, you know, for the undecided. Like, I'm not out here trying to convert hard nodes. It's about the people who are undecided and, like, the big ocean in the middle who are like, do Aboriginal people even want this, you know?

And like, just because of the amount of misinformation, you know, and like no is out there, Warren and dissin of those goofballs. and out there saying, yes, is divisive, no brings the country together. And it's like, but they don't tell you how. Well, isn't no bringing treaty? As soon as no happens, isn't treaty coming next, according to Warren, a mundane? Warren, Warren's a dummy, you know what I mean?

He just says, he just says whatever works on the day. He can't, he can't think on his feet. He's just a goofball, man. He's just, like, he's soft. And I'm like, it's just embarrassing to watch him go around the way he does when he's just flipping and flopping and saying, you know, if the, yes, does give up, I wouldn't consider a spot on the voice. It's like, no shit, because you're a political parasite.

You're just looking for another host, you're grot. I'm sure Kamal is interested in being part of the voice. If it does get up, I don't know how he will, but... Or not. Or yes. Kamal thinks it's a seat that spins around. One of the things, I guess it's been lost in all of this debate about processes and mechanisms and so on is, is what the voice is for,

is the things that the voice would represent about. and what we'd get to hear that we don't hear now. And so in closing, it'd be great to get your perspective on what the voice would say. What are the perspectives you want Australia to hear that we're not hearing right now? Well, like, a lot of the conversations I see, like, people are saying, like, oh, the voice won't even be able to change Australia Day. The voice doesn't want to change Australia Day. So what's the point of it? And it's like, man, fuck Australia Day.

Like, Australia Day is going to change community by community, like how it is at the moment. That's not important. The voice should be talking about how to allocate the funding that's been misused over the years. The indigenous-led, indigenous-owned programs that in return create infrastructure and employment and enterprise to close these gaps, to close these gaps on health, to close these gaps on education, to close the gaps on justice, to bring it to some kind of parody to work towards that. The voice is meant to be there to help direct the government on how to implement what's happening, you know, in these communities. That's what it's set up to do.

And it's not a magic one. Like, if the voice gets up, if yes gets up on the 14th, it's not going to be fixed by the 15th or 16. It's a generational change. Like what we're asking for here is to understand and work towards an outcome that benefits all of Australia. The other thing is, like, this is also about our identity. presented to the world. We're a global citizen. We're a part of the planet, believe it or not. And it's like, what kind of message do you want to send to the rest of the world about what we are here and what our national identity is? A lot of the things Australians hang their hats on,

Anzac days and whatnot, is British. We're little Britain over here. Like, until we embrace indigenous people and, you know, the oldest living, continual civilization on the face of the earth, we're not going to have a real identity. We're going to continue to be Little Britain. As someone with British heritage, I've got to say, I don't know that there's much there to celebrate. Scons are about all we've contributed at this point, isn't it? And we can all enjoy a scone.

I'll be beside myself if scones weren't a part of our future after the referendum. But if you vote yes, aren't you voting no to scons? Like, won't they eliminate scons? That's the scare campaign that's really hooked me. And does the voice want the cream or the jam on top? That's what I want to know. Look, it's been a very tough campaign. It's been a very emotional campaign.

I can't even imagine what it's like for you and other, you know, First Nations advocates who've stuck your head in the middle of this and taken so many shots from everybody. You couldn't have done more, honestly, by the looks of things. And incredible that you've found time to talk to us, and we're very grateful. Thank you so much, man. It's like, as I said, it feels like I've done about a year's work. in four weeks, you know, and like, but I guess it's, it's what was called.

I just seen what needs to be done and just did what I did, and I appreciate everyone's work and big and small and everyone's doing their part in their way. I don't tell anyone to do what I do because it's, you know, detrimental to your health, but everyone out there doing their thing, having these conversations. One thing I will say about this, it's like it's brought out a really ugly argument in Australia and it's really revealed who we are as a nation. The other side of that is the good people that have come through, the good people I've talked to, the good people that have shown up

and given their everything are really, really fucking good. They're really good. So, like, if there's anything to take away from that, then, like, one Zinni Barnes is worth 100,000 Bronx. Look, when the UN comes rolling in, can you put in a good word for us? Yeah, I'll talk to Commander Thurston, and I'll see what I can meet here, guys. Thanks so much, mate. My roads.

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