PVCA PRINT VOICE PRESSURE PAYS OFF

The federal government has just backflipped on its decision to dump the print pamphlet for the upcoming Voice referendum, and will now print and mail a pamphlet to every household in Australia. The decision comes after a strong campaign by print employers association PVCA, and others.

PVCA campaigned to the prime minister and multiple politicians including leader of the opposition Peter Dutton, essentially arguing that having no printed pamphlet was discriminatory, as significant swathes of the population were not digitally enabled.

PVCA argued that it is only print that is capable of reaching all citizens and engaging with them, particularly those without ready access to the internet found in lower socio-economic groups, in regional areas, the elderly, and crucially, among the indigenous population.

Dutton demanded a printed pamphlet, arguing that 40 per cent of voters preferred print, with prime minster Anthony Albanese this afternoon agreeing, and ordering special minister of state Don Farrell to begin the process.

The Voice pamphlet will be the biggest print job of the year by far, going to all 9.3 million Australian households. Pagination is not yet known, but the last referendum pamphlet, for a Republic in 1999, ran to 72 pages. It is unlikely the Voice pamphlet will be that big.

Kellie Northwood, CEO at PVCA, said, “It is a great result. We have to applaud Peter Dutton and all the politicians that have recognised the value of print in such an important matter. PVCA seeks to provide data-driven arguments to policymakers and legislators, because the data isn’t opinion, it is fact.

“We have also been heartened by the support for print shown on talkback radio, whose airwaves have been full of people wanting the printed pamphlet. It shows print has a lot of support in the community.”

The government’s joint standing committee on electoral matters had signalled the pamphlet would go, causing an outcry from both the 'Yes' and the 'No' camps. They said the absence of a printed pamphlet from the government will cause much of the population to get their information on the referendum from social media pages, which will not have the same commitment to facts that the government pamphlet would adhere to.

The pamphlet has been required by referendums for the past 100 years. Among other parts of the pamphlet, it outlines the referendum procedure, and has a 2000 word essay from each side outlining why voters should support their case.

Northwood said, “The print industry is the most trusted channel, it reaches all citizens, including our most vulnerable Australians, carries the highest comprehension levels for important information and is most highly read by older cohorts. In addition to that, our industry is a significant contributor to the economy and government’s position to ‘cut costs’ is a false economy when considering the high number of people we employ and the role our industry plays in feeding into the economy. It is simply not common-sense for the government to remove an important media channel, such as print, from communicating information across something as important as the Voice Referendum.”