The Voice: ANZ Bank Generously Donates $2 Million to Support the ‘Yes’ Campaign

ANZ Bank has become the first commercial bank in Australia to publicly announce its support for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

During a parliamentary inquiry hearing on Sept. 20, ANZ CEO Shayne Elliott confirmed that his company had donated $2 million (US$1.28 million) to the Yes campaign to alter the Constitution.

The Voice is an initiative by the Labor government to embed an advisory body into the Australian Constitution that will have the power to make “representations” to parliament on issues concerning Indigenous people.

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The federal government will hold a referendum on Oct. 14, and all eligible Australians must vote to decide whether the country needs such a body.

While the CEO said ANZ did not officially provide any other form of support to The Voice, he noted that some of the bank’s employees might offer their free time to help the campaign.

“I think a couple of our people may have taken some time to donate their time, but not in an official ANZ way,” he said.

Mr. Elliott also admitted that one of his workers got paid to support the Yes campaign.

ANZ Criticised for Supporting The Voice

Nationals Senator Matt Canavan criticised the bank for its involvement in The Voice, saying most Australians were against it and that ANZ was not in line with its customers’ interests.

The senator also called out on ANZ for its closure of branches in remote and rural areas.

“A big frustration of [the] people here at the moment with the bank’s closure is the disconnect between the priorities of major banks and major corporate institutions, be it The Voice, be it climate [change], be it other right issues, and the services people are lacking in the bush,” he said.