Canadian restaurant receipt charging diners a ‘land tax’ sparks fears over Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum

A photo of an overseas restaurant receipt charging an ‘Indigenous land tax’ has sparked concern about the proposed Voice to Parliament referendum in Australia. 

An image circulating on social media shows a bill from Basic Goodness Pizzeria in Tofino, British Columbia, Canada, which includes an 80 cent (one per cent) charge with the words ‘the land you are on’ written alongside it.

At the bottom of the receipt, it explains the venue has adopted a proposal to help provide a small portion of funds to preserve and revitalise the local indigenous land and culture.

Yahoo News reported the restaurant verified the receipt, but said the charge is voluntary.

It was added on after a proposal by local First Nations people called for some profits of the tourism industry to be used towards maintaining the land in the province.

A Canadian restaurant is charging diners a volunatry one per cent Indigenous land tax 

The referendum for the Voice to Parliament is expected to be held between October and December of this year (Pictured: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announces the wording of the question in the referendum)

Critics of the Voice to Parliament have taken the receipt as an indication that a similar charge could be introduced in Australia should the ‘Yes’ vote succeed.

‘I wonder if this is the next plan for us to pay the rent!’ one wrote on Facebook.

‘This is Canada, but watch and wait, it wouldn’t be too big of a step for this to be the next answer.’

In June it was revealed that one of the architects of the Voice had spoken about taking steps to make reparations and compensation to Aboriginal people.

‘Yes’ campaigner Thomas Mayo made the comments in a video published by Search Foundation, a left-wing thinktank that markets itself as the successor group to the Communist Party of Australia.

Mr Mayo was speaking about the Uluru Statement from the Heart, some two years before the Albanese government announced there would a referendum on a First Nations Voice.

Mr Mayo, the national Indigenous officer of the Maritime Union of Australia, used his speech to highlight making compensation for Indigenous people a reality.

‘This is the first step, it’s a vital step and it puts all the explanation behind it, he said.

‘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?

‘It is a really important campaign and there’s a very specific lot of asks and a clear invitation to the Australian people to walk with us.’

Thomas Mayo (right) is a prominent campaigner for the ‘Yes’ vote and has spoken about reparations and compensation being paid to Aboriginal people

The ‘Pay the Rent’ movement wants homeowners to voluntarily pay a percentage of their income to Aboriginal elders without any government oversight or intervention.

It has been backed by left-wing author and activist Clementine Ford and controversial independent senator Lidia Thorpe.

Opponents of the Voice have claimed the movement exposes the true goal of Yes campaigners as being the making of payments to Aboriginal people.

In a fiery interview with 2GB’s Ben Fordham last week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sought to rubbish claims that the Voice was about paying any reparations.

‘We have had a debate about things that aren’t happening rather than about things that are,’ he said.

‘Compensation has nothing to do with what people will vote (for) in the last quarter of this year.’

The referendum for the Voice to Parliament is expected to be held between October and December of this year.