We Need To Say ‘Yes’ Again

The first time I visited a remote Indigenous community I was in awe of its beauty.

But the baked red earth, the fierce blue sky and the silvery-green woodlands belied the harsh reality of life for the people who have existed on the fringe of Kakadu for generations long past.

Their lives on the border of Australia’s most famous national park have instead been coloured by poverty and pain. Like so many of our First Nations people, they live without the healthcare, jobs and educational opportunities most of us take for granted.

It’s not right and it’s not fair. The good news is we now have a pathway to a better future for them. 

Almost six years after the plebiscite on marriage equality, we are again being asked to vote for basic rights for a minority of Australians who have been ignored for too long.

We said Yes back in 2017. Now we need to say Yes again. 

First Nations People Had Our Back During Marriage Equality Vote

Australia’s First Nations people had our back during the vote on same-sex marriage. They stood by us when we needed them, and I personally won’t be letting them down now it is their lives that are on the line.

This referendum presents us with another chance to stand together and make history.

Last month LGBTIQ+ groups from around the country, in partnership with BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation, united in support of the Voice to Parliament which stems from decades of consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have asked for practical recognition and a say in the policies that affect them.

Queer communities know only too well what it’s like to be marginalised, stigmatised and discriminated against. We understand the significance of recognition and the importance of belonging. 

We also know what it is like to have our rights put under the public microscope and our lives up for debate around kitchen tables across the nation. It’s a bruising process and it takes a toll.

But that is not a reason to stay home, it’s a reason to get out there.

A Once-In-A-Generation Chance

To the queer mob who find themselves in the eye of the storm for a second time, I hope Australia does you proud when we head to the polls in this once-in-a-generation chance to recognise 65,000 years of continuous culture.

But recognition means nothing without real action. We have the chance to value First Nations voices, experiences and leadership in advising the government on how best to improve their lives.

Despite billions of dollars and repeated attempts, our nation’s politicians have failed to improve outcomes for First Nations people who continue to suffer worsening rates of suicide, adult incarceration, children in out-of-home care and the number of children who are school-ready.

Vote Yes

Much of what we do at Equality Australia is talking to and advising governments, letting them know what our communities want and need. We do this because governments make better decisions when they hear directly from the communities impacted by them. It’s not rocket science: Laws and policies are better when governments listen to the voices of people who are most affected.

 The simple truth of the matter is that just like marriage equality, an Indigenous voice to parliament will have no direct impact on the lives of the vast majority of Australians but has the potential to make a profound difference to the small group of Australians it is designed to help.

Before going public with our support, Equality Australia reached out to our community and found widespread support for the Voice with almost 90 per cent of respondents saying they would vote Yes in an online survey of 4078 people. 

As the referendum date draws nearer, we need these votes now more than ever. A better future is possible. 

Anna Brown is CEO, Equality Australia and was co-chair of the Equality Campaign during the 2017 Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey.