Words in Action | Voice referendum: A missed opportunity?

October 14, 2024, is the first anniversary of the Voice referendum and, with this anniversary, it is timely to pause and reflect on the result, the far-reaching implications of the failed vote and to consider a way forward.

For many Australians, life continued on as normal after October 14, 2023.

There were those who believed the lies, misinformation and misrepresentations and were emboldened as they responded to the racist dog whistles of some opponents of the Voice.

There were those who were triggered by the unfounded fear of someone getting something they were not.

The referendum became a political football.

As one of the architects of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, Professor Megan Davis, said recently: “The process got captured by politics and politicians in a way that wasn’t foreseen by the old people at the rock [Uluru].”

But there were over 6.2 million people who accepted the invitation offered in the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and who, with hope, worked to find a better way forward.

Davis acknowledged this support, saying “there is a solid foundation there of Australians who really understood the urgency of the Voice and why it was needed”.

Since the referendum, the deafening silence from both sides of government has failed not only the First Peoples of this country, but, in the lack of any clear steps or alternative proposals to tackle the extreme disadvantage of many First Nations communities, they have also failed our nation.

This has led to a maintaining of the status quo, an acceptance of disgracefully low levels on almost all social determinants of health.

What does this say about us as a nation, that we are so willing to ignore this appalling situation, to turn our gaze?

In the meantime, First Nations leaders and communities continue the work to “build the infrastructure necessary to create genuine systemic reform”.

In the 2024 Lowitja Institute’s Closing the Gap Report: Voyage to Voice, Treaty Truth and Beyond, co-chair of the Closing the Gap Campaign June Oscar underscored the ongoing nature of the campaign for equality and how the First Nations’ approach of inclusion benefited us all.

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ activism, our continual fight for genuine partnership, shared agreement making, recognition and survival has moulded our peoples, formed part of our identities, and shaped the social and political progress of this country,” she said.

“This is an important part of our story, of our truth-telling, but it is also the story of our shared journey as a nation. It is with great pride that we recognise, when we fight for self-determination for ourselves and our communities, we extend that principle to others. When we fight for large-scale structural reform to build and embed economic development that knowledge and reform benefits everyone.”

Coalition of Peaks co-convener Celeste Liddle said the targets that were being met were where community control was in place.

“The data is there, the stories are there, it’s clear that when we control our services, we get better outcomes for our people,” she said.

On the eve of the first anniversary of the referendum, an online event featured leaders of the Uluru Dialogue. It was an opportunity to hear their voices, their reflections but most importantly, their thoughts on “where to from here”.

What was striking was the unifying theme of all the speakers: a determination to make Australia a better place for everyone. To continue to offer to work together.

Geoff Scott, a Wiradjuri Elder involved in the Uluru Dialogues, observed: “It (the referendum) was about unity. It wasn’t about division. It was about a real way forward and understanding why we wanted to do it. And it’s for our kids, for the children, it’s for the Elders, but it’s also about for the whole nation, about bringing us together.”

First Nations leaders instinctively understand that greater expression of First Peoples’ knowledge, culture, language and truth-telling enriches us all and strengthens our unique identity as a modern nation. That we need to move forward as a civilised society that looks after everyone.

And so, there is the ongoing invitation to walk together with hope for a better future for us all.

Aunty Pat Anderson, an Alyawarre woman from the Northern Territory, was the final speaker.

Reflecting on the lead-up to the vote, Aunty Pat acknowledged that Australia was still struggling to “have the hard conversations” about the colonisation of the country.

The elements of Treaty and truth-telling, as outlined in the Uluru Statement from the Heart, are crucial steps in framing these conversation — they provide “a guide, a road map to how we can all move forward as a sophisticated nation”.

The invitation to the nation “asking you, begging you almost, to see our point of view, to respect us, to acknowledge us” will continue.

“We’re not going to stop because this is our place. And as I said, we ain’t going anywhere,” Aunty Pat said.

“There’s a real opportunity here to actually turn Australia into an authentic Australian nation with people who are proud and respectful and acknowledge each other and can go forward with all the energy that we have in this country and all the resources that this wonderful country has to offer to us.”

Aunty Pat’s words to “think bigger and wider and think grand!” threw down a real challenge for us all.

It also highlighted a local example of this bigger, wider and grander thinking — the establishment of the ‘grand thinking’ First Nations-led Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence here in Shepparton — a facility that expands educational opportunities in the Goulburn Valley. A facility that is the realisation of a dream to make a difference in our community — a difference we can all benefit from.

But this does leave us with the question: are the rest of us up for the challenge?

What can you do?

To find out more about Treaty visit firstpeoplesrelations.vic.gov.au/treaty

To find out more about truth-telling visit yoorrookjusticecommission.org.au

To read the 2024 Lowitja Institute’s Closing the Gap Report: Voyage to Voice, Treaty Truth and Beyond visit closethegap.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Close-the-Gap-Report-2024-final-FOR-ONLINE.pdf