07 October 2023 

Early voting is now open across the country – which is why it’s incredibly important to head to the ballot box well informed about what the referendum is asking, and what it means for the future of Australia – especially for people outside of our big cities.

Whether it’s Mapoon in Far North Queensland, East Gippsland in Victoria, or William Creek in outback South Australia – I’ve travelled far and wide this year and had a number of productive conversations about the impact the Voice will have in our regions.

Aside from the overwhelming positive feedback from communities, the resounding theme on the ground has been the danger of the misinformation and disinformation that we have seen online and in some segments of the media.

Unfortunately, this undermines what is truly a unifying moment for our nation.

A moment that culminates years of work and countless conversations in every part of the country – and an aspiration supported by over 80 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Understanding how pivotal your say in this referendum is and accessing factual information before putting pen to paper is absolutely essential over the next week.

We are being asked, “To alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.”

This is about recognising 65,000 years of continuous culture in Australia’s 122-year-old Constitution for the first time.

A powerful action that underpins our ongoing commitment to reconciliation.

And it’s about establishing an advisory committee that will help the Parliament and Government to make better decisions on issues that affect First Nations communities.

A permanent committee that cannot face the chop overnight because it’s politically inconvenient – the fate of previous Indigenous advisory groups.

A committee that would include Indigenous Australians from every state and territory, the Torres Strait Islands and representatives from the regions and remote communities.

Diverse representation so that we can achieve better outcomes outside of our big cities – where so much work needs to be done to improve access to opportunities and key services.

Where many challenges that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people face are at their worst.

A life expectancy eight years shorter than non-Indigenous Australians, worse rates of disease and infant mortality, a suicide rate twice as high, and fewer opportunities for education and training.

Challenges that we cannot continue to kick down the road with the, “She’ll be right” mentality.

I was recently asked on radio why my existing engagement with First Nations communities was not enough to fix these challenges.

This is about amplifying the evidence-based advice available to Governments to drive better outcomes in key policies areas, including education, employment, health, and housing.

It’s about drawing on the local knowledge of regional people, so that we better invest our money in the services and programs that need it most.

And by altering the Constitution – the document that gives our Parliament and Government the power to make laws – we are simply safeguarding this advice and recognition.

Nothing more, nothing less.

It’s just the start of a process to drive practical change in our regional and rural areas, so that we do not fall further behind our city neighbours.

So, like so many other crucial decisions in your life – take the time to understand what the Voice is, to ensure that you get your vote right.

And a good place to start is Voice.gov.au.

After hundreds of years, it’s time we do things differently – which is why voting YES at the referendum is a small ask, for truly transformative change.