"Proving I am aboriginal"

would be easy. All I need to do is tick the box on the form which says I am. My complaint would probably be dealt with almost immediately. I would not have to wait.

I am not "aboriginal" of course. My ancestors came from Scotland. The box which now appears on almost every form I come across is something I find offensive. There is usually an alternative between "aboriginal", something else (sometimes more than one thing) and "prefer not to say". I tick the latter if I am not permitted to ignore the question altogether. I do that because I do not believe I should be treated any differently due to the colour (or the supposed colour) of my skin.

One of the leading proponents of the "Voice to Parliament" was on the news complaining that questions had been raised about how aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people would be identified for the purposes of the Voice. He wanted to know whether people were supposed to get tattoos. It was an appalling thought. I felt cold at the very idea.

But, we do have a problem. If the referendum results in a change to the Constitution so that there is a Voice who will be eligible to be on the proposed Committee? I don't think it is enough for people to simply say they "identify".  Where do you draw the line? There has to be some means of identifying those who will be eligible. If there isn't then why should other aboriginal people accept them as their representatives?

It is a question the government is refusing to address. To address it would bring into question the entire proposal and everything which has led to the point where we are now. It would raise serious questions about why and how a man like Bruce Pascoe can claim to be "aboriginal" and how the claims he makes in "Dark Emu" can be verified. We would need to ask questions about how others have come to be involved and why just one ancestor is of greater importance than more than one other. Who are they really representing? What is their purpose in being involved?

The proposal for change is not, as the PM likes to maintain, "modest". If it succeeds there will be a seismic shift in the way we are governed. At very least we need to know who is going to have some sort of special right to be involved in the decisions which affect all of us.