Last week was two weeks since the Voice Referendum.
An Aboriginal family from Queensland is accusing the Australian Electoral Commission of deeply harmful racist conduct on the day of the 2023 Referendum and in its handling of their subsequent complaint.
The Benton family have filed a racial discrimination claim in the Federal Court. The allegations centre on their experiences on voting day during the 2023 Voice Referendum which has had a lasting impact. While the legal process continues, Mr Benton is calling for broader action and greater education to end racism against First Nations people in Australia.
Barkindji Koori man Murray Benton said, “Every Australian deserves to live free from racism and discrimination. As a young Aboriginal person, I’m fighting for a future where our people can walk in safety and pride, where our Elders are honoured and not harmed, and our young ones grow up strong in culture and identity. When I see or experience racism, I can’t stay silent. We hold a collective responsibility to stand up, speak out, and make sure this kind of treatment ends with our generation.”
Ariane Dozer from the National Justice Project noted, “The Voice Referendum was designed to, at long last, establish a mechanism to recognise and listen to First Nations People. For an Aboriginal family to walk away from the polling booth feeling profiled and violated is a national disgrace. Our institutions must do better.”
Mr Benton urges people to use the Call It Out register as a practical step to confront racism.
“I am stepping up to call out what my family experienced because silence only protects the problem. We all share a collective responsibility to name racism when we see it, to stand beside those who experience it, and to help educate others about its impact. The Call It Out Racism Register provides a safe and accessible way to do that, by turning our experiences into evidence, awareness, and action. Institutions must commit to do better, and organisations must listen and create spaces for people to share their experiences.
We have the right to vote, just like we have a right to live, learn, work, and participate fully in this country – without being profiled, humiliated, or silenced. Accountability and education are key to understanding racism – it opens hearts, challenges bias, and helps build safer, more respectful spaces for everyone. By sharing our stories and experiences, we actively remind Australia that truth-telling is power, because the truth brings change in the fight against racism. If you have experienced racism while voting, or in any place, with any institution, don’t carry it alone, call it out. Together we are stronger, and together we can end racism.”
Professor Lindon Coombes, from the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research said, “Any instance of racism through our democracy threatens to undermine decades of advocacy by Indigenous people who worked hard to ensure our genuine participation in the democratic process. A democracy is only as strong as its commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all citizens, especially those who have faced persistent exclusion and discrimination.”
The Call It Out First Nations Racism Register is operated by Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research with support from the National Justice Project. Its most recent report documented hundreds of incidents and witnesses of racism in a single year, including many linked to the Voice Referendum. Any unfair or unjust treatment towards First Nations People is experienced or witnessed can be reported. ‘
Media
Family takes AEC to court over alleged racism during Voice Referendum – 14 October, National Indigenous Times
Aboriginal family alleges racism on referendum day – 17 October, The Queenslander
