Pat Farmer’s run for the Voice – Hobart
Well, thanks very much. I also begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet no pay my respects to the elders, past, present, and emerging.
I do want to acknowledge my parliamentary colleagues, Linda Burney, the Minister for Indigenous Affairs. We have Mark Butler, the Minister for Health. We have Julie Collins, the Minister for Housing and Homelessness. We have Assistant Minister for Infrastructure, Carol Brown, and we have Bridget Archer, the Member for Bass all joining with me at this launch from the Federal Parliament.
Importantly as well we have the Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff and the Leader of the Opposition Rebecca White here as well. And can I say as well, Anna Reynolds, thank you to the Lord Mayor for hosting us here today.
Importantly, as well, we have a former federal colleague of mine, Pat Farmer, who I got to know more than 20 years ago when he was elected as a member for Macarthur. And during that time he brought his resilience and his skills and his running capacity into the Federal Parliament.
He contacted me just a short while ago with this idea of a run for the Voice. And to me, it seemed absolutely perfect, because what the Voice is about is a bottom up approach, from local and regional voices to be heard, through a national Voice, having a say for Indigenous Australians.
Because of the nature of our Constitution, the referendum will mean that every Australian will have the opportunity to cast their one vote; one vote, one value. And so people in big cities, or small towns or remote communities will all have a say.
In Pat’s vision – in running some 14,000 plus kilometres around this great nation over six months, 80 kilometres a day, on average, every day – he is showing his commitment to reconciliation. He will through this run, mobilise these local communities where he visits and I know that he’s hoping to mobilise that support, throughout Tasmania firstly, but then throughout the entire nation and finishing on the 11th of October, fittingly at Uluru.
This is an important statement in itself, for Pat’s inspirational journey to end where the Uluru Statement from the Heart was formed.
This is an important opportunity for us. For over 120 years with the best of intentions, governments have done things for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, not with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The Voice is just a means to an end. It is how we listen to First Nations people in order to close the gap on education on health, life expectancy, on incarceration rates, rates on economic opportunity.
And we know from our experience, that where we consult with Indigenous Australians, you get better outcomes. We see that with the Indigenous Rangers program. We see that with community health programs. We see that with justice reinvestment.
Common sense tells you that if you’re working with people, you will get better outcomes and neat you are imposing solution.
Nothing can be further from the truth than that this is about a ‘Canberra Voice’. This is a Voice to Canberra, from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, showing them respect.
But it’s also for non-Indigenous Australians about how we see ourselves. Whether we’re a confident, forward looking nation that can advance reconciliation. Whether we have the confidence to acknowledge the fullness of our history and our past and come to terms with it, and whether we can walk forward together.
So this constitutional change is about just two things, and two things only. First, it’s about recognising Indigenous Australians in our Constitution. And secondly, it’s about the fact that Indigenous Australians should be consulted about matters that affect them.
That is what this is about. And that’s why I’m very confident that Australians, when given the opportunity, which they will have some time between October and December this year, will vote Yes.
That’s why I’m pleased that every single state and territory leader is supporting a Yes campaign as well. And I do want to take the opportunity to acknowledge publicly, Dominic Perrottet, the former Premier of New South Wales for his support for this as well.
This is a campaign that should be above politics because it’s about justice. It’s about doing the right thing. It’s about advancing reconciliation.
And that’s why we’re seeing such momentum. We’re seeing momentum from employers and from trade unions. We’re seeing momentum from faith groups. We’re seeing momentum from non government organisations. We’re seeing momentum from local government organisations. We’re seeing momentum from sporting organisations and community clubs and we’ll see that continue into the future.
This is a gracious, generous offer from First Nations people. This is just a hand out, asking in that great Australian way when you meet each other, we put our hand out as a gesture to shake hands to come together as an acknowledgement. And that’s what this is from First Nations people.
We should have the fortitude and the grace to embrace the opportunity which we have to go forward.
Pat, I think that you are doing Australia a great service once again. You are showing your ongoing commitment to our great country.
This is about the day after the referendum being held, waking up to a more united Australia, waking up to an Australia that come to terms with its past, waking up to an Australia that’s more reconciled and is able to go forward in that moment of national unity.
I think you for everything you’re doing to support this cause and to inspire Australians to vote Yes, to vote Yes to a better future, a more reconciled future between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.