Wednesday, 4 October 2023

 Steve McGHIE (Melton) (09:57): On 14 October Australians will be asked a simple question and to vote on the proposed law to alter the constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia and establish the Voice to Parliament. The First Peoples of Australia are the oldest continuing living culture in the world. They have lived on, cared for and protected these great lands for centuries. This referendum will decide if we choose to listen to them about legislation that will directly impact them. This referendum gives the Australian population an opportunity to unite and secure meaningful structural reforms that cannot be legislated away. By voting yes on 14 October we stand together for the importance of recognition, the Voice and the advisory functions it would uphold. It represents hope and the acknowledgement that we can do better and that we are not okay with the reduced life span, the high suicide rate or the poor health outcomes. By saying yes, we are in fact saying we can do better.

When governments listen to people, we make better decisions, we get better results, we get better value for money. The Voice to Parliament will act as an advisory body to the Parliament on laws that will impact the way of life for First Nations peoples. Therefore I ask those who may be in a current position of doubt to really consider how this will impact their day-to-day life, because unless you are a First Nations person, it cannot. A voice will not take anything from non-Aboriginal people. It cannot make laws, it cannot impose taxes and it will not control funding. It will impact your lives just as much as the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, the Real Estate Institute of Australia and arguably the Minerals Council of Australia and the Business Council of Australia will. I have already voted yes in solidarity with our First Nations peoples.