The Bishop's Gaffe

"The Bishop's Gaffe" refers to a famous political slip made by Australian politician Sir Paul Hasluck during a 1971 debate about Indigenous Australians. He expressed skepticism about giving Indigenous Australians the right to vote, implying it might lead to them gaining unearned privileges. The phrase highlights unintended grammatical errors—he intended to say "the right to vote," but said "the right to be vote"—which changed the meaning and caused public criticism. It serves as a reminder of how small language errors can reflect or distort political intentions and influence public perception.