And so here we are at a pivotal moment in Australian history. Australians must now make a decisive choice between basic traditional mainstream conservative values –  let’s not change that which is not broken –  and the progressive, globalist virtue-signalling, cultural Marxist values of the elites.

Twice in the last few decades Australians have been called upon to make a similar choice. In the republican referendum of 1999 we said No to abolishing our constitutional monarchy. In 2017 we said Yes to same-sex marriage.

From day one this magazine, alone among the mainstream media, has opposed the Voice on principle and in practice. Taking a sledgehammer to the constitution and refashioning it to insert a powerful new body (with powers that are undefined) based on the concept of racial identity (also undefined) was always going to be a hard sell. But the fact that the entire Voice campaign from the Prime Minister down was built on lies, deceptions, obfuscation and dissembling did not help the Yes cause. Future historians may well look back in bemusement at how Anthony Albanese’s first act after being elected Prime Minister was to declare he would implement the Uluru Statement from the Heart ‘in full’ despite later declaring he not only had not read it ‘in full’ but dismissively retorted ‘Why would I?’

This was akin to the real estate agent who admits he hasn’t bothered to look in the basement. Or the airline pilot who hasn’t bothered to read the aviation manual.

Nonetheless, there’s never room for complacency and there is still the possibility of a surprise upset, and the Yes campaign winning through fair means or possibly even foul. The public don’t like being tricked and fooled with and the slipperiness of the Prime Minister (‘Treaty? What Treaty?’) has been accompanied by some disturbing actions by the supposedly independent bureaucrats; Yes colours matching those of the AEC; ticks counting as Yes but a cross not counting as No; and of course the disgraceful ‘quid pro quo’ arrangements coming to light in which this Labor government has shamefully abused its power over  Big Business and Big Sports in order to get Yes promotional agreements. A future Coalition government (which could be as early as next year) should set the new anti-corruption watchdog straight onto the deals done around the Voice campaign.

But despite the elitist hectoring in all likelihood the Voice will fail because the average (quiet?) Australian recognises that the pendulum has swung way too far in terms of so-called ‘reconciliation’ or ‘recognition’. A Yes vote will forever cement in the grievance industry and empower it in ways that Australians will come to sincerely regret. Loss of rights, loss of sovereignty, financial reparations, abolishing Australia Day and a Pandora’s box of other such monstrosities are bubbling under the slick veneer of the Yes campaign just waiting to burst out like the alien from Sigourney Weaver’s belly should the Yes campaign defy the polls and claim victory.

Mainstream Australians of the current generation have nothing but goodwill and affection for Aboriginal Australians, as has been demonstrated time and time again in genuine, as opposed to symbolic, terms. So many of our most popular sporting, cultural and musical heroes are indigenous, and indigenous Australians are brilliantly represented in our parliament where they punch well above their weight on both sides of the political aisle.

Australians see the despair and disadvantage, as well as the violence, in certain indigenous communities, which in many cases are little more than communist despotic hellholes run along Marxist lines, and are desperate to see a solution. But the solution is not the Voice. The solution is the wholesale dismantling of the welfare/‘sit-down-money’ mentality introduced by the Whitlam government and pursued by every government since that has done so much damage by removing hope, self-esteem, agency and opportunity from everyday Aboriginal lives.

A strong No victory would be a boon for this country. Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and Nyunggai Warren Mundine (both contributors to this magazine) have demonstrated that true indigenous leadership is built on pragmatism, hope for the future rather than despair, education and jobs. Theirs is the vision the nation can choose to embrace on 14 October.

Mr Mundine has outlined the practical steps that can quickly be taken to give Aboriginal businesses and youth hope for the future, and in Senator Price Australia has a new ‘rock star’ political leader whose political vision and personal charisma could take her all the way to the Lodge.

For every undecided Australian, or even Yes voter, it is not too late to recognise that the very best way you can help disadvantaged Aboriginal Australians to realise their full potential is to vote No to the racist Voice.