Voice to Parliament referendum is just about the principle say speakers at Yes campaign event in Albany

A Yes campaign event in Albany on Friday ended with a standing ovation for Noongar elder Averil Dean declaring she needs to see change “where we can make decisions before my time is up”. The widely respected 87-year-old elder stood up to talk to the crowd at the end of Reconciliation WA’s Understanding the Voice to Parliament event about the changes she had already seen and the ones she still wanted to see. “We’ve seen the the pride come back in our culture and language,” she said. “I want you all to know I am a proud Aboriginal woman.” Ms Dean’s comments came after Thomas Mayo and Fred Chaney spent an hour and half explaining what Australians will vote on at next month’s referendum. During the session they placed an emphasis on the fact the referendum is only asking the public to vote on whether they support the principle of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament being included in the constitution. Mr Mayo pointed towards the three-point law contained within the 122 words proposed for addition to the constitution to remind the crowd that Parliament remained in control of what the Voice’s composition, functions, powers and procedures would be. “That’s the detail of what we are voting on,” he said. “The constitution is the size of a passport which basically has dot points on the powers that Parliament has to make laws about things. “It’s really just a book of principles.” Mr Chaney said a Yes vote would mean putting a permanent reminder in the constitution for Government to listen before they act. “Government will always try to be your boss, but we need them, in this area to be a partner,” he said. He said there had been bipartisan support to approach closing the gap in a new way, but debate leading up to referendum had caused confusion because it had been driven by politics “as there is a desire to make sure the Prime Minister’s nose is bloodied”. He referred to the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, signed by political leaders on both sides in 2020, which stipulates parties “will listen to the voices and aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and change the way we work in response”. “I’ve been a Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and I can tell you the way governments work is that they are top down and that they boss you around,” he said. “That’s precisely why it hasn’t worked.” Mr Mayo said a number of representative bodies had served as a voice previously, but had been put in place “by one government and removed by the next”. He said all “organisations have problems from time to time” which would lead to changes to improve them, but “our representative bodies, our voices, have never had that opportunity”. “We know that when we’ve had a voice in the past there has been improvement,” he said. “When we don’t have a voice things get worse … we cannot ignore that pattern throughout history.” The pair also addressed questions about the Uluru Statement from the Heart, treaties, why the Voice was needed and how to address people’s concerns in the lead up to the referendum in a 45-minute question and answer session. One member of the audience said he was sceptical about the Voice because he was concerned its panel could be made up by people with radical views that would not reflect the perspective of regional people. “I think Indigenous people just want good representation just like anyone else for their electorate and government,” Mr Mayo said. “I have faith that it won’t just be people going in and grandstanding, but I also have faith because one of the design principles is that there will be set terms for regular accountability.” In response to a question about how people would be chosen to be part of the voice, Mr Mayo said suggesting how it might work before the referendum would shift the focus of the debate away from the principle being voted on. “If we put a draft bill up before the referendum to say it’s going to be this number of representatives and here are the mechanics of how they are chosen then people will debate those things,” he said. “We’d descend into the weeds and start fighting over those things, we’ve got to get past step one first — the principle. “Then the Government can go to Indigenous communities to consult with them across the country about what the model should be.” The Voice referendum will take place on October 14. The proposed addition to the constitution which is being voted on:Chapter IX—Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples 129 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice In recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia: (i) there shall be a body, to be called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice; (ii) the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice may make representations to the Parliament and the Executive Government of the Commonwealth on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; (iii) the Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws with respect to matters relating to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, including its composition, functions, powers and procedures.