Rookie Liberal MP Jenny Ware is under fire over a bizarre decision to organise an all-white panel to discuss the voice to parliament.
The new MP, who was elected last year, has gone to ground and refused to comment after she was heckled and tried to shut down an Aboriginal man who demanded to speak at the event.
The panel, held in her Sydney electorate of Hughes, was attended by former prime minister Tony Abbott, who argued for the ‘No’ campaign, and journalist and commentator Joe Hildebrand, who argued the ‘Yes’ campaign.
But the information evening descended into an embarrassing stand off after a First Nations man demanded to speak, and Ms Ware’s media team briefly turned the camera away during a live feed on Facebook.
Towards the end of the night Ms Ware was heckled by the crowd, with one female attendee asking: “Can we please hear from a First Nations person before we go?”
A still from the video shows the moment Ms Ware tried to shut down an Aboriginal man who demanded to speak at the event. Picture: Twitter
Ms Ware brushed off the request, insisting there was a schedule to keep to, while Mr Abbott and Mr Hildebrand sat on stage and watched on.
“We don’t have the time. We simply do not have the time,’’ she said.
That prompted a man named Phil to take to the stand, prompting cheers from the crowd.
In response, Ms Ware responded, “Can you let me finish?”
“You’re up here Joe, Tony, talking about the constitution. It’s a system word. It has been detrimental to my people,” he said. “The truth hurts.
“I think you should hear from an Aboriginal’s side of view, all right?”
Social media has erupted over the video, with lawyer Eddie Synot declaring the images “a bad look”.
“Sadly they’ve cut the video from when the gentleman gets up at the end,” he said.
“Pathetic. Even though Joe is a supporter – there needs to be Indigenous representation. What don’t they get about the voice? I mean we know what Abbott and I’m guessing Ware doesn’t get and are ignoring.”
Activist Nyadol Nyuon said that Hildebrand and Mr Abbott should have insisted on an Aboriginal voice on the panel.
“If you are an ‘ally’ and support the Yes vote and you are invited on a panel to discuss the voice and there is no First Nations Person on that panel – whether they agree with the voice or not. Please don’t do it,” she said.
“In that situation, you are not an ally, you are a replacement.
Jenny Ware with former prime minister Tony Abbott, who argued for the ‘No’ campaign and journalist and commentator Joe Hildebrand, who argued the ‘Yes’ campaign.
“Your sympathy can’t ever replace the historical context that led to this discussion, or the experience of First Nations Peoples today shaped by that history. All you can achieve, in that situation, is ‘the racism of paternalistic sympathy’.
“Tomorrow, we will be reminded the ‘real victims’ are Jenny Ware MP and Tony Abbott, who were ‘rudely interrupted’ by a First Nations person.
“It is the entitlement for me – to host a debate about First Nations Peoples, without the presence of a single First Nations person.”
Ms Ware declined to speak to news.com.au about what occurred, why she did not include a First Nation voice on the panel or why she tried to stop the man from speaking.
However, she provided the following statement noting that the acknowledgement of Country was given by Aunty Gail Smith.
“I was delighted to see the Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council attend the event,’’ she said.
“Panellists Joe Hildebrand (for the yes campaign) and the Hon Tony Abbott AC (for the no campaign) approached the debate in a respectful and thoughtful manner, with the occasional good natured sparring one would expect.
“The panellists demonstrated intellectual rigour and a clear understanding of the concerns and issues around the Voice referendum.
“Messrs Hildebrand and Abbott attended on their own time. Being respectful of their time as well as the audience, the event concluded after a series of moderated questions as well as questions from the audience. The event lasted for almost 2 hours.
“At the conclusion of the event, on the recommendation of the AFP, I left the event.
Thanks again for your interest.”
The information evening descended into an embarrassing stand off after a First Nations man demanded to speak. Picture: Twitter
Hildebrand said he was invited to advocate for the Yes case by Jenny Ware following a column he wrote for news.com.au condemning Peter Dutton and the federal Liberal Party room for backing the No case.
“I am a very passionate supporter of the Voice and have worked closely with the From the Heart campaign and its director Dean Parkin for more than two years. I also consulted with a constitutional law advisor to Noel Pearson prior to the debate. Both strongly supported my participation,” he said.
“I spent most of the time prior to and after the debate chatting to the Indigenous people in the room and exchanged numbers with a local Indigenous leader.
“I remained on stage and listened to the last impromptu speaker as long as he spoke and then spoke to him at length afterwards to hear his thoughts. His name is Phil and he was a relative of one of the people I had spoken to earlier. We got along extremely well.
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“I will always take any opportunity to advocate for the Voice in any forum.
“Incidentally, the last time I participated in a formal Voice debate it was with an Indigenous person called Warren Mundine and he was advocating for the No case.”