I will be voting “Yes” in the federal referendum to having an Indigenous Voice in the Australian Parliament.

I want Indigenous people properly recognised in the Australian constitution. I want Indigenous people to have a stronger influence over Indigenous affairs. I want real measures taken to reducing the huge gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, in terms of things such as health and life expectancy, education, employment opportunities, rates of incarceration, deaths in custody, and the ability to affect self-determination within the broader Australian community. I want to see an official treaty made between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, so that I can feel proud of being considered to be an Australian.

Those people who are calling for a “No” vote, are campaigning on fear of the unknown, of ‘muddying the waters’, and trying to maintain the current imbalance of privilege and influence of ‘white people’ in ‘Australian society’. There have been too many horrible actions perpetrated by ‘white people’ against Indigenous Australians, and other minority groups, to feel proud of being part of Australian society. To feel proud of being Australian, we must start by doing something genuine to change the status of Indigenous Australians in Australian society. The “Sorry” speech (13 February 2008) by then Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, was excellent, but we need to do something for making a ‘real’ change.