Allow all of us to prosper together

I can still remember as a young child how our nation came together after the success of the 1967 referendum, filling me with a sense of optimism and hope for my own future.

It was Australia extending its hands to First Nations people and saying that we were all on a journey together.

I know Saturday will be the last chance in my lifetime to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Constitution and ensure that they are listened to through a Voice.

Picture yourself as a young Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child waking up on Sunday morning — how will they feel if this referendum is unsuccessful?

What message does it send to future generations who simply want the same opportunities and living standards enjoyed by non-Indigenous Australians?

As a child of the Stolen Generation, I grew from a young boy in Corrigin to become the first Aboriginal man to sit in the House of Representatives.

For more than a decade I did my best to represent my community and, later in my career, to deliver for Indigenous Australians as the first Aboriginal minister for Indigenous Australians.

But the one thing I learnt, and still know to be true, is that Canberra politicians don’t have all the answers.

How could they?

That’s why, despite the best of intentions, Indigenous Australians still suffer from worse outcomes when compared with non-Indigenous Australians.

That’s why we have to do something different.

When I look back at our achievements in government there is one constant. Success was underpinned by one key principle — government working in partnership with Indigenous Australians.

That was especially so when navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and saving Indigenous Australian lives.

It was a fundamental principle in the national agreement on Closing the Gap to improve living standards for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

And it was key in supporting communities and caring for country through the highly successful Indigenous rangers program.

The constant to this success was listening and engaging at a local level, talking directly with communities and Indigenous leaders to understand the challenges and develop trusting relationships when delivering programs and solutions.

When we listen to Indigenous Australians and make policy decisions based on their local knowledge, it leads to better results.

For too long, too many have ignored Indigenous voices when developing policies to address their issues.

Indigenous Australians know their communities better than any politician ever could.

This is why now, with the opportunity of constitutional recognition through an Indigenous Voice before us, it is my strong belief that we must seize the moment.

The Voice won’t make new laws, control funding, or sit in the houses of Parliament — it simply provides informed advice to the Government on issues that affect Indigenous Australians.

The Voice is our chance to make a brighter, more prosperous future for Indigenous Australians a reality, to regain that sense of optimism and hope that the 1967 referendum delivered.

The Voice is our chance for constitutional recognition.

On Saturday, Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians can extend our hands and commit to working in partnership.

We can wrap arms around each other and heal on our ongoing path of reconciliation.

We can complete our nation’s birth certificate.

It is my sincere hope that Australians come together, to vote Yes, and help set the foundations for an even more inclusive and prosperous nation.

This first appeared on p10 of The West Australian (13/10/23).