‘Google it, ya lazy mongrels’
Hollywood celebrities endorse Yes vote in Australian referendum
Hollywood actor Jason Momoa has revealed to his 17 million Instagram followers that he is endorsing the Yes Campaign in the Australian Voice referendum, which has caused a stir among his Aussie fan base.
Born in Hawaii and of indigenous Polynesian descent, the Aquaman star posted a viral “Yes Vote” clip, on his social media.
The video, which was directed by Aussie filmmaker Nash Edgerton, includes indigenous musician Adam Briggs, who brainstormed its concept.
New Zealand director Taika Waititi was the first to share the clip to his Instagram page, which Momoa reshared.
The post caption read: “#yes23 is a referendum taking place in Australia on October 14. The aim is to give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people a Voice in parliament so they can weigh in on issues that affect their lives.
“Simple as that. How do I know this? I googled it. But many Australians are confused or freaked out about what it means. Don’t be! It’s a good thing! Just do good things! Also Google it ya lazy mongrels.”
It concluded, “VOTE YES to THE VOICE on OCT 14.”
Thousands commented, many criticising the actor for voicing his opinion when it came to Australian politics, despite his roots.
“Stay out of Australian politics mate, do your thing in America and that, but putting your 5 cents in terms on the Yes or No vote is not with you,” one fuming fan wrote.
However, on the flip side, many fans praised Momoa for using his fame to back the Yes campaign.
“Thank you and Taika for the solidarity. The lead up to the referendum has been really rough on our communities and it’s actually really nice to get some encouragement from our Indigenous brothers from across the seas,” another added.
This isn’t the first time Momoa has used his platform to discuss political matters.
In August, the Game of Thrones actor appealed to his fans to send aid and funds after wildfires ripped through Maui in his native Hawaii.
High-profile people have ramped up their messaging over the Voice vote in recent days, with Penrith Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary announcing his support for the Yes vote in a social media video immediately after his team’s NRL Grand Final win.
“No Voice, no choice. Come on Australia, vote Yes,” Cleary said.
Early voting began this week in the referendum that would enshrine in Australia’s constitution a mechanism for Indigenous people to advise Parliament on policies that affect their lives.
The “Yes” campaign is lagging behind in opinion polls but Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who supports the potential change, said he remains hopeful.
“I know a lot of people have not made up their mind, and what I know is that the feedback, when people talk through these issues, they arrive at a ‘Yes’ vote pretty comfortably,” Albanese told reporters in Melbourne.
“I sincerely think the key to the next fortnight is those one-on-one conversations with people to accept this request of the overwhelming majority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”
Political opponents say the referendum effort should have been bipartisan and that many unanswered questions remain on the details of how the Voice would work in practice.