By YES23 Wollongong campaigner Jeremy Lasek
With our local volunteer numbers swelling to more than 200, there are a growing number of activities and events being organised on a weekly basis by the Voice’s YES campaign team.
On Tuesday this week the YES campaign saw a major community education blitz with volunteers positioned at the region’s busiest railway stations.
Morning commuters were greeted by YES T-shirt wearing team members at Unanderra, Wollongong, North Wollongong and Thirroul railways stations.
There were many great conversations on our station platforms. And one of the biggest positives was the large number of people who told our team members they didn’t need to take any of our pamphlets. They’d already made up their mind to vote YES. "Keep your pamphlets for someone who isn’t aware of the issues," said one commuter.
One of our team leaders, Theresa Huxtable, said a number of high school students getting off the train in Wollongong, while not able to vote, seemed happy to take YES brochures home for their parents to read.
Another volunteer, Rex Graham, said the positive response from rail users at North Wollongong "put wind in the sails" of the volunteers, who are steeling themselves for three months of vigorous campaigning.
"One comment that stuck in my mind, from a young person: 'I've already received a flyer, you people are everywhere in Sydney stations.'
"We may feel small in numbers at our individual train stations, but lots of the public notice our commitment to First Nations people and are challenged to think about what more Australia can do to support our fellow Aboriginal citizens," Rex said.
Eminent judges support The Voice
This week, eight of Australia’s pre-eminent legal minds, all former judges, put their case in a full-page open letter to the Australian public, stating how "The Voice to Parliament would enhance Australian governance".
Having weighed up the arguments both for and against The Voice, their letter says in part: "We confidently believe… the proposed Voice will both enrich our democracy and increase the likelihood of governments making correct decisions about matters that affect Indigenous peoples.
"Democracies are at their best when decisions are made after informed and respectful debate to which all may contribute. Life being what it is, the rich and powerful have and will retain that privilege to a great degree than most. Some, among them Australia’s First Nations people, have continually battled to be heard at all.
"If successful, the referendum on The Voice will not diminish the influence of anyone. But it will help to correct an historic wrong. It will give recognition and a voice to those who for thousands of years owned and lived in balance with this land, only to have their rights to it disregarded during the centuries which have followed settlement from other lands.
"Advocates for a ‘No’ vote claim that The Voice is a creature of Canberra. That is untrue. The call for The Voice was made in the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which is the product of the widest survey of the views of First Nations peoples ever undertaken and which is a deeply respectful call ‘from all points of the Southern Sky’. It includes an invitation to all Australians to create a better future. We think this invitation should be accepted," the open letter concluded.
Sunday Swim Out for YES
This weekend, campaigners will be back at North Wollongong Beach for their Sunday Swim Out for YES.
The Sunday morning event starts at 9am and will feature speakers from the Illawarra’s Aboriginal community who will explain how important this referendum is for our local First Nations people.
If, like me, you’re not particularly keen on taking a dip in the middle of winter, that’s just fine. This is mainly an opportunity to find out more about the referendum and for members of the public to have any questions or concerns answered.
There are also YES volunteers with an information stand at the Crown Street Markets at Wollongong mall every Friday from 11am.
Award for Coomaditchie
Congratulations to the Coomaditchie United Aboriginal Corporation which this week was named the Organisation of the Year at the Local Government Regional NAIDOC Week Awards.
Coomaditchie is a grassroots community organisation that has been working in the Illawarra for 30 years. Every project they run is co-designed and implemented in consultation with the local and wider Aboriginal community.
Coomaditchie Hall is a welcoming place where community members visit and share their hopes and ideas, and the organisation is dedicated to raising the self-esteem, pride and dignity of young Aboriginal people, as well as caring for Country and all Elders.
Current projects include:
- Ngarramurra – a program for high school children who are at risk of non-completion;
- The Homework Centre for primary school children;
- Deadly Women and Deadly Kids;
- A community garden; and
- A social enterprise program that creates opportunities for local Aboriginal artists of all ages to generate an income.
Bravo Coomaditchie!
About the writer
Jeremy Lasek has many decades of experience in media, marketing, events and PR. His career began in the Illawarra with the Lake Times, ABC Radio and WIN-TV. For eight years Jeremy was news director for WIN in Canberra and was national news director before joining the National Capital Authority as head of media and events. Jeremy was executive director of ACT Government Communications, Events, Arts, Heritage and Protocol for many years, was Chief of Staff to the ACT Chief Minister and had responsibility for the Centenary of Canberra celebrations in 2013. Before returning to Wollongong, Jeremy was CEO of the National Australia Day Council (including the Australian of the Year Awards) and head of communications for the Australian Federal Police. He’s currently volunteering on the YES23 campaign.
