Sistergirls say postal vote is a “waste” in Indigenous communities
Image: The Tiwi Island sistergirls at the 2017 Mardi Gras. Image: Ann-Marie Calilhanna.
THE Tiwi Islands sistergirls say the upcoming postal plebiscite for marriage equality could be a waste of time in communities like theirs where people may not understand the process, has reported.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 rubbish really, they鈥檙e just wasting their time,鈥� said Shaun Kerinaiua.
鈥淢ost of our people don鈥檛 speak English, it鈥檚 our second language.鈥�
鈥淲e speak eight, nine, 10 different languages and there are Indigenous people who don鈥檛 speak English,鈥� said Crystal Johnson.
Kerinaiua said that having to enrol to vote on the Australian Electoral Commission website presents a barrier for some Indigenous people.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a bit frustrating that there鈥檚 a website that needs to be used to register,鈥� she said.
鈥淎 lot of our people are not literate, we are not up to standard education-wise, I think it鈥檚 all just horrible.鈥�
She said the process would be simpler for people to understand if it were held as a compulsory vote similar to election polling, which Tiwi Islanders are familiar with.
鈥淸People in our community] have to go and vote if they want a new prime minister, so I think they should keep [the marriage equality vote] simple, especially for remote communities,鈥� she said.
The sistergirls will be working with limited resources to campaign for a 鈥榶es鈥� vote on the Tiwi Islands.
鈥淐rystal, myself and some of the other girls will have a rally, put some signs up, hold group discussions and some family gatherings to spread that news and the awareness,鈥� said Kerinaiua.
Voters have until August 24 to or update their details to ensure they can vote.
