Seymour’s Jim Billings gives his time to the community regularly.
And along with other locals, Mr Billings has recently been hosting information stands to inform people ahead of making their choice in the upcoming national Voice to Parliament referendum.
As a Yes campaigner, he says the response has been mostly positive. However, a recent interaction highlighted the need for greater respect in the debate.
Holding a stall at Seymour Bus Terminal on Thursday, September 7, he described 80 per cent of his interactions as being positive.
“I spoke to a lot of people waiting for the bus to go. We had some really positive conversations,” Mr Billings said.
Still, one negative interaction with a community member, who made a series of racial slurs, highlighted the need for greater respect.
Although the incident was disheartening, Mr Billings said the interaction would not deter him.
“A couple of nasty ones stick, but when the dust settles, you realise they are in the minority,” Mr Billings said.
“Surely we can have respectful discussions about it all, and with respectful discussions, we can clarify some misinformation.”
Local MPs have echoed this sentiment.
Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell said that after much deliberation, he had decided to vote No, but this was not a guise for racial vilification.
“In my maiden speech to parliament, I said that my observation in my community is that we seem to do better when we celebrate each other’s different cultural identity and, moreover, embrace each other’s humanity,” he said.
Mr Birrell said decent people from diverse backgrounds and races who wanted to see reconciliation held different views on whether the referendum was the right way to achieve it.
“I wish my constituents well in their deliberations, as I do all Australians, and I implore everyone to debate this respectfully. Good people will come to different conclusions. But it’s the Australian people’s decision to make, and I will respect their decision,” Mr Birrell said.
State Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland echoed this sentiment in a statement, encouraging her constituents to remain respectful of others’ opinions and decisions.
“Our great country allows us the freedom to debate and disagree, and I urge everyone to remember the importance of this,” she said.
Undeterred, Mr Billings will continue to hold his information stands at Avenel market in the lead-up to the referendum.
“You give them to people, you say, take them away and have a conversation. The more people talk about it the better,” he said.
“It’s about respect. It’s about understanding that people do much better when they have an opportunity to address their needs and self-determine.
“The fact that it has been politicised has set it back. It has become so nasty and that is such a shame. If only it had been a bipartisan thing... It would have sailed through.”