SENATOR THE HON KATY GALLAGHER
MINISTER FOR FINANCE
MINISTER FOR WOMEN
MINISTER FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE
SENATOR FOR THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

THE THREE SIMPLE REASONS TO VOTE YES IN THE OCTOBER 14 REFERENDUM

Recently you'll have noticed a growing army of volunteers out across Canberra at shops from Kippax to Conder, donning colourful 'Yes23' T-shirts and answering questions about the Voice referendum from Canberrans who are hungry to learn more about the historic opportunity that lies in front of us.

And what is so exciting about this is that it is largely above politics and is reinforcing Canberra at its progressive best.

The local campaign on this question is clearly transcending normal political battle lines. The ACT 'Yes23' army is the biggest per capita in Australia.

On October 14 this year, all Australians will have the opportunity to cast a vote to change the Constitution.

A simple request was made in the Uluru Statement from the Heart - to change our Constitution to recognise First Nations people in our nation's founding document through a Voice to the Parliament.

The reasons to vote Yes are simple and compelling and really come down to three main reasons.

Firstly, it's about respect, to recognise the world's oldest continuing culture in our Constitution.

Secondly, recognition through a Voice will ensure that policy makers consult with, and listen to, the expertise and lived experience of First Nations people on matters that affect them.

Finally and most simply, this referendum is about delivering better outcomes for First Nations people.

A Voice will be a committee of First Nations people to advise parliament on the best policies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in a renewed effort to Close the Gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Listening to the advice of the Voice will help inform decisions to direct funds where they will have the most impact and deliver the best outcomes in key areas like Indigenous health, education, employment and housing.

Voting no will mean that we accept the status quo which continues to leave many First Nations people to accept lower life expectancy, poorer health outcomes and higher unemployment rates.

As the Uluru Statement from the Heart put so powerfully, when discussing the huge gaps that exist in outcomes and wellbeing between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians: "The dimensions of our crisis tell plainly the structural nature of our problem".

Change the structure and you can change the outcomes. That is what this referendum is about. It's about bringing the country together and working with each other to drive better outcomes.

The Voice is our best chance to end what the Uluru Statement so starkly and bleakly calls the "torment of powerlessness".

We're still seeing around an eight-year gap in life expectancy between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people compared with other Australians.

Nationally, 68.1 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 20-24 years had attained Year 12 or equivalent qualification, compared to 90.7 per cent of other Australians.

And only 81.4 per cent of Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander people are living in appropriately sized (not overcrowded) housing, compared with 93.5 per cent of other Australians.

What we are doing now is not working and it is time for us to walk a different path, together as a nation.

And as a proud Canberran and a strong supporter of the 'Yes23' campaign, it's really heartening to see our community embrace the Voice proposal so wholeheartedly.

I've campaigned for Yes alongside volunteers from across the political spectrum and with people who have never been activists before but have been motivated to play their part in delivering this crucial change and be part of history.

Canberra has a proud track record when it comes to supporting constitutional change, convincingly supporting questions in referendums over the decades.

Constitutional recognition through a Voice to Parliament is a proposal which came from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It's a generous offer to work together to consult, listen and drive better outcomes for First Nations people right across Australia.

There is no doubting that we make better decisions when we listen, and the outcomes are better when those directly affected can have a say.

In October each one of us can take action to help Close the Gap, by voting Yes for constitutional recognition through a Voice.

Each one of us can seize the opportunity the referendum provides to engage across family and friends, neighbours and colleagues to talk about why voting Yes is so important.

This referendum will only be won conversation by conversation. The majority of Australians and at least four of six states would need to vote Yes for the referendum to be successful. Whilst not a state, our votes are important for the national count.

In years ahead, when our grandchildren and great grandchildren ask us what we were doing on the 14th October 2023 we can proudly tell them of the role we played in making history by changing our Constitution and our nation's story for the better.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31 2023