The Voice will be a group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (First Nations) from across Australia. Their job will be to help the Government understand how new laws will affect First Nations people. 

So, for the first time, instead of our Government telling First Nations people what is best for them, First Nations people will have a chance to explain to the Government what they think is best. 

A Voice should be separate from politics. If the Voice is written into the Constitution then it becomes permanent. Politicians can’t ignore our vote and remove it. Governments are also more likely to take its advice seriously if it’s in the Constitution. The only way a Government could cancel recognition of First Nations people and dismiss the Voice would be to hold another referendum and ask the people to decide. 

Australians are being asked to vote on the idea of recognising First Nations people and a Voice to Parliament. The detail is like everything else in the Constitution. It will be researched, planned, debated and voted on by experts and Parliaments, which is what we elected them to do. 

For example, Australia’s Constitution says that Parliament should make laws so that Australia has an army and a navy to defend the country. It doesn’t give details of numbers of soldiers or equipment or budgets, it’s just a couple of lines saying we should have it.  

We are voting on the idea of recognition and a Voice. Parliament will work out the detail, and details will be adjusted over the years as things change. 

Over 80% of First Nations people support Constitutional Recognition and a Voice to Parliament. There are some First Nations people who don’t agree, think it doesn’t go far enough, or think a Treaty should come first. As with any group of people, there are different views and they should be heard. The media is giving these views plenty of attention. 

Most First Nations leaders and the large majority of First Nations people support this referendum and want recognition through a Voice.  UWU has been guided by First Nations members and delegates who support us being involved to win a YES Vote, and 450 delegates at the 2022 National Member Convention strongly agreed. 

If First Nations people were getting more than other Australians, their quality of life and conditions would not be as bad as they are. Look at the Closing the Gap statistics in this booklet. Occasionally special measures are made for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities because their situation is far more urgent. Their health, education, justice and employment outcomes are far below other Australians. For example, First Nations people could access COVID-19 vaccines at an earlier age than other Australians. This was because in general, First Nations health issues are so much worse than other Australians and they were more vulnerable. 

If this referendum fails, it will set reconciliation between First Nations and other Australians back for a generation. The 1999 referendum on Australia becoming a republic failed, and no Government has wanted to try again even though most Australians support it. This is our chance to do something that is right, practical and long overdue. We cannot miss this chance. 

It is a simple question, Should we recognise Australia’s first peoples, 65,000 years of culture, and should we give them a seat at the table on decisions that affect them? If in your heart you agree with those questions, the answer is simple. YES.