Yes supporter Jane Caro has sparked backlash after claiming white people ‘have never been the victims of racism’.
The TV personality made the comment in response to an op-ed criticising Noel Pearson and a speech he delivered in support of the Voice last Wednesday.
Sky News host Rowan Dean accused Mr Pearson of ‘race-baiting’ and suggesting ‘white Northern European Anglos are different’, labelling the speech ‘offensive’.
He then called on the Race Discrimination Commissioner to call out the Yes campaigner as he shared his op-ed in a scathing post on social media platform X.
Caro, who is a Walkley award winner and AM, lashed out at the Sky News host with her own tweet on Monday.
‘White people have never been the victims of racism in Australia,’ Caro wrote.
‘Nor are they likely to be in the future, Voice or no Voice. This kind of cynical sophistry is cruel & utterly disingenuous.’
However, social media users slammed Caro’s comments, with many claiming Aussies who are considered ‘white’ have suffered racism.
TV personality and Yes vote supporter Jane Caro (pictured) claimed white people have never been or will never be the victims of racism
Caro claimed ‘white people’ never have been victims of racism or are they likely to be in the future (pictured)
‘Sorry Jane but I am an Italian immigrant and I have been the victim of racism. I am white. My grandparents arrived in the late 60’s. They have a few stories to tell about being racially vilified. They are also white,’ one wrote.
‘My dad a Greek immigrant was called a Wog every single day while working at the Railways throughout the 60’s and 70’s… last time i checked, Greeks are regarded as white,’ another commented.
‘My white mate grew up in Redfern and walked to school everyday and everyday he was called a ‘captain cook c**t’… he was seven,’ a third added.
A fourth chimed: ‘My parents were/are called wogs in Australia. I am born here and I too am/have been called a wog.’
‘My children born in Aus from parents born in Aus have also been called wogs. Are you telling me wogs is a term of endearment or I’m not white.’
Another person added: ‘Hey Jane. Are irish white? I don’t believe it was all roses when many immigrants turned up here over the years.’
In response to the backlash, Caro defended her comments claiming that ‘people of colour’ were the ‘overwhelming’ victims of racism.
‘I stand by my tweet. People of colour overwhelmingly the victims of racism in Australia. Indigenous Australians most of all,’ Caro wrote.
‘All prejudice is bad and stupid, but the stats on Indigenous Australians tell the story.
In response to the backlash, Caro (pictured) defended her comments claiming that ‘people of colour’ were the ‘overwhelming’ victims of racism
Caro’s comments were in response to Sky News host Rowan Dean’s criticism of Yes campaigner Noel Person’s speech. Dean labelled the speech ‘offensive’ and ‘divisive’ after Pearson asked Aussies ‘where do you fit in Australia?’
‘When you compare life expectancy, infant mortality, incarceration rates, educational achievement, employment rates etc, it is not white people en masse who are the victims.’
Caro has voiced her support for the referendum in the past after sharing an automated text message she received from Senator Jacinta Price in September.
The message urged recipients to vote No in the upcoming referendum before Caro replied: ‘I will be voting Yes and you should be too.’
Mr Pearson had delivered his speech at the National Press Club last week.
He was questioned by a reporter how the Yes campaign’s message was being delivered in multicultural communities across the country.
‘I say to multicultural communities in the campaign that I am involved in around the country, I say to them, listen, where do you fit into Australia?’ Mr Pearson said.
‘Are you with the mob from the UK? Are you kind of honorary settlers? Because some of you are the wrong colour.
‘Or you don’t come from Northern Europe. You come from Africa, you come from Asia, you come from South America – you come from all over the joint. You come from China. I say to them, where do you fit in Australia?’
In his op-ed written for the Spectator Australia, Dean claimed the speech ‘disturbed’ him and was deliberately ‘race-baiting’.
‘There was this little bit in particular which is race-baiting, is dividing the nation deliberately, is offensive in the extreme,’ Dean wrote.
‘Every one of us in Australia strives to make this the most successful, multiracial nation on Earth. How dare you – that was the most disgusting thing I have ever heard.’
The Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum will be held on October 14, with Aussies voting on whether to constitutionally enshrine an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advisory body.
The Voice has caused heated debate between the Yes supporters and their No counterparts, with both campaigning for votes in the lead up to the referendum (Yes23 supporters at a campaign in Brisbane on August 30)
The Voice has caused heated debate between the Yes supporters and their No counterparts, with both campaigning for votes in the lead up to the referendum.
The Yes23 campaign has been accused of exploiting dirty tricks outside early voting centres by using almost identically-coloured signs to the Australian Electoral Commission.
Early voting for the Voice referendum kicked off in the Northern Territory, Tasmania, Victoria and West Australia on Monday ahead of the October 14 poll.
A picture, taken outside a polling booth in Mildura Senior Citizens Club in Victoria, showed an official purple ‘voting centre’ sign sandwiched between two ‘Vote Yes’ signs using the same purple colouring and the same white lettering.
Pro-Voice supporters were also heard hurling vile abuse at No voters after a clash broke out at an anti-Voice rally on September 27.
Hundreds of angry Yes voters descended on the Royal International Convention Centre in Brisbane for an event featuring outspoken Indigenous No campaigners Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and Warren Mundine.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged Aussies on both sides of the Voice debate to remain respectful.
When asked whether he would still make the same commitment to hold the referendum if he had his time again, knowing now how ‘nasty and divisive’ the debate would become – Mr Albanese was emphatic.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured far left with Noel Pearson (centre)) urged Yes and No supporters to remain respectful during debate over the Voice referendum
‘Yes. Because when are we going to get this done (otherwise). It’s been 122 years,’ Mr Albanese told 2SM radio on September 20.
‘There’s provisions in the Constitution to allow New Zealand to be the seventh state of Australia, but there’s no acknowledgment of the first peoples of Australia.
‘This should not be controversial.’
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has pleaded with the Prime Minister to delay the ‘divisive’ referendum or to change the question put to voters.
Mr Dutton suggested the question should ask Australians to vote on Indigenous recognition without a constitutionally enshrined Voice.
