On Saturday, 14 October 2023, Australians will be asked to vote in a referendum on the Indigenous constitutional recognition through a Voice.

Recognising First Nation people is one of our country’s most prominent issues, and the referendum is a once in a lifetime opportunity to begin the long journey towards doing this. As it is with any political issue, there is a lot of misinformation and general kerfuffle to confuse the everday Australian. An Australian who although understands something needs to change when it comes to recognising First Nation Australians, might not understand exactly how a referendum works or what a Voice might mean. Both sides need to be presented in order for it to be a fair, unified vote, of course, but over the last couple of months the NO campaign has heavily targeted the gaps in everyday Australians’ knowledge to cast doubt as a voter. We spoke with Allira Davis, co-chair of the Uluru Youth Dialogue and Cobble Cobble woman from the Barungum and Birrigubba Nations to break down the Voice To Parliament so that you can make an informed decision come October 14th.

So in layman's terms, in the simplest form, what is the Voice to Parliament?

The Voice to Parliament is enshrining a First Nations Voice into the Constitution. It will be an advisory body of First Nations Peoples that will provide advice to the government of the day on laws that affect First Nations Communities.

How does this help First Nations Australians?

The advice provided by a First Nations Voice will mean better laws and policies for First Nations Peoples. It will mean better outcomes across the board including health, housing, criminal justice and education. 

How will this trickle down at a local level?

The concept of the Voice is based on giving the voice back to the voiceless, so it won’t be a top-to-bottom approach but a bottom-up approach. So the Voice will give back to community leaders who will have a seat at the table. If it’s in the Constitution then the First Nations Voice is permanent, protected and legitimate so politicians and government have to and must listen to us.

Say the majority votes yes, then what?

The Voice model will be decided on how it will look. There are design principles out there but they will be determined after the fact because once you’re in the Constitution it cannot be changed. It’s not a one-size-fits-all model in our communities so we need to listen to the community leaders who will be the decision makers on policies and laws that affect our communities.

How else can we be an ally to First Nation Australians during this?

To be informed, educated and aware of this issue. Be aware of the misinformation that is on social media. Educate yourself so that you can make an informed and conscious decision when you get the ballot paper.

Is there anything else we should know?

It should be noted that this referendum is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Everyone should be involved and have a say. This is one of the biggest concerns within our country - recognising First Nations Peoples is so important for Australia.

Where can we go for more information?

ulurustatement.org