Big W has slapped down a customer who gave a one-star review to a $12 book explaining how the Indigenous Voice to Parliament would work.
One purchaser wrote a scathing summary of the Voice to Parliament Handbook, written by a key architect of the Voice, Thomas Mayo, and the former ABC presenter Kerry O’Brien.
‘Absolutely no detail about what changing the constitution will do,’ the dissatisfied customer wrote.
‘Was hoping to learn about what will happen when we enshrine the voice. Just propaganda and fluff.’
The discount variety store’s brand managers were so upset with the review it fired back at the customer with a response about its commitment to the Voice.
Big W has used a very woke response to slap down a customer who gave a one-star review to a $12 book explaining the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, written by Thomas Mayo (pictured) and Kerry O’Brien
Big W responded in a very woke way (pictured) to a negative comment on a book about the Indigenous Voice to Parliament
A dissatisfied customer left a negative review of the book (pictured) on Big W’s website
‘As a diverse workplace, BIG W recognises the significance of National Reconciliation Week for all Australians and as part of Woolworths Group, we are committed to Reconciliation and support the Uluru Statement from the Heart,’ it said.
‘We hope we can continue to learn together with our team, customers and communities to take actions towards a more inclusive Australia.’
The poster’s comment got six thumbs up votes agreeing with them, but it also got 15 thumbs down from those who disagreed with the comment.
A further one-star review called the book ‘absolutely appalling propaganda’.
‘The two authors are all you need to see to know what this book is about nothing other than race baiting socialist ideology dressed up as social virtue signaling, trying to guilt shame people into voting for constitutional change which will forever divide Australian people into warring racial groups,’ the reviewer, called ‘Proud Australian’ wrote.
‘Not worth the paper its written on, total waste of time and money. I will be returning the book and requesting a refund. Only gave one star because zero was not an option.’
Big W posted a similar response to that review too.
Despite the negative reviews that led to Big W’s responses, Mr Mayo’s book has been well received by many other commenters on the retailer’s website.
‘At less than 100 pages it can be read in an afternoon and is filled with easy to understand information about the Voice, previous “voice” attempts and Referendums. Buy it, read it and pass it on. Then vote YES,’ wrote one.
‘Thankyou Big W for making this book available to all at an affordable price and for working towards a more inclusive Australia,’ wrote another.
‘Will be buying more copies to pass on to others.’
Big W (storefront pictured) was so upset with the review it issued a very rare response
Mr Mayo, a prominent Indigenous campaigner, made headlines last week when his controversial old tweets were unearthed by Daily Mail Australia.
In them, he described his vision for life after a Voice to Parliament is introduced, including reparations for Indigenous people, ‘rent’ being paid to live on Australian land and the abolition of ‘harmful colonial institutions’.
A series of tweets dating back to 2018 showed that Mr Mayo supported an eventual treaty that would see land handed back to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
This vision for a Voice to Parliament appears to directly contradict Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s hope for a ‘modest’ concession to assist the nation’s most vulnerable.
He listed ‘all the things we imagine when we demand’ a Voice, including ‘reparations, land back, abolishing harmful colonial institutions’.
Additionally, Mr Mayo said his sights were set on ‘getting ALL our kids out of prisons & in to care… integration of our laws & lore, speaking language, wages back’.
Mr Mayo said a ‘guaranteed representative body’ was ‘needed (to) properly pursue the rent that is owed and an abolishment of systems that harm us’.
In March, Mr Mayo (pictured right) stood shoulder to shoulder with a tearful Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (centre) as the official wording of the referendum question was announced
In 2020, Mr Mayo got into a heated online exchange with Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe – a vocal critic of the Voice.
She has long argued a treaty is more important than constitutional recognition, denying the legality of the constitution and expressing concerns about the sovereignty of First Nations people if the referendum passes.
Mr Mayo told her a constitutional Voice will give Indigenous people a platform to ‘negotiate’ with the Commonwealth on their ‘obligations’.
‘Australians already will support a referendum to recognise our Voice,’ Mr Mayo said. ‘They are much less likely to support what we may claim in a treaty (reparations, land back, etc).
‘A constitutionally enshrined Voice is important to establish to use the truth to support treaty negotiations.’
Mr Mayo described the advisory body as a ‘vital step in the fight for justice’.
The unearthed tweets came days after footage surfaced of Mr Mayo making inflammatory comments about his vision for the future.
In one clip from 2020, Mr Mayo spoke about the proposal being a step towards making compensation for Indigenous people a reality.
Daily Mail Australia has obtained a series of old tweets dating back to 2018 and published by Thomas Mayo, an architect of the Voice referendum question and signatory of the Uluru Statement of the Heart
Mr Mayo was speaking about the Uluru Statement from the Heart, two years before the Albanese government announced there would a referendum on a First Nations Voice.
‘Pay the Rent for example, how do we do that in a way that is transparent and that actually sees reparations and compensation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people beyond what we say and do at a rally?’ he said.
The ‘Pay the Rent’ movement wants homeowners to voluntarily pay a percentage of their income to Aboriginal elders without any government oversight or intervention.
Mr Mayo said in another unearthed video posted in 2021 that politicians would be ‘punished’ if they ignored advice from the advisory body.
‘The power in the Voice is that it creates the ability for First Nations to come together through representatives that they choose, representatives that they can hold accountable,’ he said.
‘And then be able to campaign for that, and punish politicians that ignore our advice. That is where the power comes from.’
Speaking in Parliament last week, Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney was unable to condemn Mr Mayo’s comments.
‘I am not responsible for what other people say,’ she said.
‘At the end of the day, this is about doing things differently so we can move the dial on a national shame in this country.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Big W and Mr Mayo for comment.
Speaking in Parliament last week, Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney (pictured right) was unable to condemn Thomas Mayo’s (pictured left) comments
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk