Why I’m encouraging a YES vote

Written by Nathan Rigney

As the referendum for the Voice to parliament draws closer, we are undoubtedly faced with one of the biggest debates and decisions of our generation. It goes further than the plebiscite that challenged us – but we rose to the occasion. It is possibly more influential than the amazing feats of Wave Hill, Eddie Kaiko Mabo and Charlie Perkins leading the Freedom Ride. This one requires ALL of us to have a say.

Democracy. That’s what we pride ourselves on. The ability to use our collective voice to decide what kind of country we want to be, what people we want to be, and how our leaders should lead this lucky country.

What then do we say about the ability to constitutionally recognise our First People – my people – for the very first time? We know our histories and we have been attempting to reconcile our dark past, to that of a shared future. Should it be easy? No. We are, for the first time, faced with a decision to give a constitutionally recognised voice to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to our Parliament. A voice that is advisory and likely to not have any decision-making powers. This is a point of contention that can make or break.

So what is the big picture here? I believe the big picture is the Uluru Statement from the Heart. We must keep it front and centre for what we are trying to achieve here. 

Voice. Treaty. Truth.

Our federal government has already committed to implementing the statement, in full. We have the states and territories already playing their part and implementing these reforms. We now look to our nation’s founding document – our constitution. The key thing that has been missing from this document is the acknowledgement of our First People. Since 1901, we have seen the horrific impact of laws and policies that have attempted to ‘breed out’ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and people – it was easy, because we had no constitutional voice. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve ALWAYS had a voice. And we’ve stood proud, strong and unified through the darkest days, while they attempted to strip us of our dignity, identity, and agency to be sovereign peoples on our land.

Stand with your First Nations people. Don’t be distracted. Let yourselves yield to the good in your heart. Fear will try to silence you and silence us. It will turn us into versions of ourselves that deep down we know we’re not. We know who we are, and we know what we want. We want to be the lucky country we talk about, and we want that to extend to ALL people who call this place home… particularly those of us who have called it home for sixty millennia.

Nathan Rigney
Ngarrindjeri
ActNow Theatre Board member

ActNow Theatre supports the Voice to Parliament. Read our letter of support and access further resources on the subject here.