I voted “Yes” in the 14th October 2023 federal referendum to having an Indigenous Voice in the Australian Parliament.
Unfortunately, the “Yes” vote was unsuccessful.

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 called for a “No” vote (people like Tony Abbott, Indigenous woman and politician Jacinta Price, Indigenous man Warren Mundine, the Murdoch press [covering most of the capital cities across Australia, as well as the national disgrace for a newspaper called “The Australian”], the Sky-News white-Anglo drongos like Andrew Bolt and Rowan Dean, Gina Rinehart and many of the mining or other companies with a stake in making huge money from Aboriginal land decisions) were 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’ over all other minority groups. 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.

The “Sorry” speech (13 February 2008) by then Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, was excellent, but people with genuine power in Australia need to make real changes to address the inequities in Australian society.

I can not feel proud of being considered to be ‘Australian’. I am extremely disappointed in the society I live as part of. I think the vast majority of Australians who voted "No", are appallingly selfish and mean-spirited individuals. Where was your humanity?