This week I had the pleasure of catching up with a respected local Aboriginal elder, Uncle Richard Davis. His message for those who still haven’t decided how to vote in the referendum is simple but heartfelt.
"If we vote YES, it will only make Australia a better place. It’s not about feeling sorry for us, it’s about giving those in greatest need a helping hand and doing the right thing," Richard said.
"For many years my parents and many other Aboriginal people fought hard to have Aboriginal people recognised in their own country and to access services that most Australians take for granted."
Richard says it’s now the turn of his generation to take up the fight, carrying on his parents’ important legacy.
"The Voice will be a process where Aboriginal Australians can feel they’re being heard, to help provide solutions to the many issues we face, especially in remote areas of Australia. These include deaths in custody, employment, education, health, housing, and the list goes on and on," he said.
"This referendum is a once in a lifetime opportunity and will define how Australia will be viewed in the eyes of the world."
Richard said he’s encouraged that the YES campaign locally is aiming for Wollongong to achieve the largest YES vote in Australia.
"From my experience the people of Wollongong have always known right from wrong. This referendum vote is another chance for the Gong to do that again.
"By supporting the Voice campaign this will show respect that our past and present elders fought for over the past 235 years.
"As Gough Whitlam once said: IT’S TIME!"
Clifton ‘Art From Our Hearts’ YES fundraiser a roaring success
Volunteers from Clifton School of Arts are celebrating the most successful fundraiser to date in support of the YES referendum campaign in the Illawarra.
The beautifully named Art from our Hearts exhibition last weekend featured a total of 64 works donated by 40 local artists.
It was standing room only for the Friday night official opening on August 11 by Clifton School of Arts president David Roach.
Four popular works were sold during a spirited auction and 26 other artworks were sold over the two days, raising more than $14,000 for the YES campaign.
Speaking at the opening, Wollongong’s YES coordinator, John Corker, thanked all the artists who selflessly donated their works for the show.
"Never underestimate the power of art to make change in our society," John said.
"Community can make change and everyone is encouraged to continue fighting for what is right and accept the invitation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart to walk alongside Australia’s First Peoples and support the creation of the Voice."
The Voice campaign is gaining momentum
How good is it to see everyday Australians – not politicians – at the centre of the debate?
There are now dozens of YES campaign groups working hard to spread the message right across Australia.
I recently swapped ideas on events and messaging with the coordinator of the YES campaign in rural Deniliquin. She admitted it was challenging persuading an ultra-conservative rural community that a YES vote would be the best vote for our nation’s future. She also had no doubt about the extraordinary possibilities of saying yes, and the profound costs of saying no.
It’s been interesting to watch the strategy from those opposing the Voice in recent weeks. They’ve tried to shift the focus from what Indigenous Australians stand to gain from the Voice, to what non-Indigenous Australians stand to lose if the referendum is successful.
It’s such a selfish strategy. Dare I say, it’s totally un-Australian.
If the referendum is successful, 97 per cent of Australian lives will remain unchanged. If it fails, 100 per cent of Australians lives will remain unchanged.
