When former prime minister John Howard told those opposing the Voice to Parliament to "maintain the rage", Indigenous leader Noel Pearson offered the "yes" campaign a different message: "Maintain the love, there's no rage path for us."
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
It appears the Albanese government has tried to heed Mr Pearson's message following a brutal week of heated exchanges, as Parliament headed into its last sitting day before the referendum.
Labor spent Thursday's question time trying to bring debate over the Voice down to a simmer, while the Coalition aimed its final blows against the proposed Voice to Parliament.
Deputy Leader of the opposition Sussan Ley - as the Coalition has done all week - tried to paint the government into a corner over comments made by prominent "yes" campaigner Marcia Langton on racism in Australia.
But asked whether he agreed "22 per cent of the Australian population are deeply racist", the Prime Minister was even and calm.
"Australians are fundamentally decent," Anthony Albanese said.
"And I call upon everyone in this debate to be respectful, to carry themselves like my friend Michael Long who joins us [today]," he said looking up at the AFL legend, who just completed a walk from Melbourne to Canberra in support of the Voice.
"Now it's up to us to carry his message of love and hope and reconciliation away from the Parliament and back to the people in our electorates."
The Prime Minister even referenced Mr Howard's cry to maintain the rage, before countering: "This is about love and reconciliation and bringing people together."
The opposite side of the chamber erupted into roars - but Labor maintained its poker face (minus Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, who at points in the hour shook her head at those opposite the chamber, like a parent schooling a misbehaving child).
The opposition wheeled out the same lines of questioning it had tried all week, poking at the doubts and fears around the Voice being stirred up by the "no" campaign outside Parliament. Questions around treaty and reparations, details around advisory body, and whether there is any policy or area off-limits to the Voice?
But Labor stuck to its talking points and lobbed dixer after dixer at its front bench around what the proposed body would do to tackle First Nations' inequality.
READ MORE:
The Coalition heckled and jeered, but they were not the audience Labor was appealing to, as was clear when Treasurer Jim Chalmers rounded out one answer.
"We can get this done in one and we can get better outcomes for our people. We can rise above the nasty and negative and angry and divisive politics that we've seen from those opposite and we can make history together," Mr Chalmers said, his voice just edging out the growing cries from those opposite him.
"Because, Mr Speaker, in 30 days' time, we have a chance to grasp this generous invitation to walk together. This is our big chance as a country and we cannot afford to waste it."
After a week of struggling to control the chamber amid the Coalition's attacks, the government arguably won the day.
The question still in doubt is whether the "yes" campaign can win the next four weeks.