People driving on BLOR past Bilpin Cider will catch a view of the Aboriginal flag flying next to the Australian flag at the entrance to the Cellar Door.

This is the first business to fly the First Nation people’s flag in the Highlands and it has sparked discussion about the upcoming Voice to Parliament referendum everyone will be lining up to vote on in a few months’ time.

 What’s the Voice about?

In 2017 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Nations gathered at Uluru and made a statement from the heart of Australia. Part of this statement was seeking constitutional reform:

“We seek constitutional reforms to empower our people and take a rightful place in our own country. When we have power over our destiny our children will flourish. They will walk in two worlds and their culture will be a gift to their country. We call for the establishment of a First Nations Voice enshrined in the Constitution.” (Uluru Statement for the Heart 2017)

Embedding a Voice in the Constitution would recognise the special place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia’s history, but importantly would also mean that it can’t be shut down by successive Governments. This is important because Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and bodies have called for a voice for close to 100 years. (Reconciliation Australia.org.au)

Is a Voice needed?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are the only racial group in Australia who have policies and laws made specifically for them, and government ministers and departments that specialise in implementing these laws and policy which often have an adverse impact on their lives.

A Voice to Parliament will give Indigenous communities a route to help inform policy and legal decisions that impact their lives. It will provide a mechanism where First Nation people can directly voice their concerns and ideas to Parliament regardless of who is Prime Minister and what ideas are fashionable at any time, and they believe this will give them greater control of their lives.

Opposing the Voice is the Liberal/National Party who proposed to pass laws establishing local and regional bodies to act as the Voice. Some First Nation leaders also oppose the Voice believing it will create another layer of bureaucracy and not solve any of the dire health and social problems racking their communities.

What is the referendum question?

“A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.

Do you approve this proposed alteration?”

If the majority of people in the majority of the States of Australia vote yes, then Parliament will make laws creating the Voice. When governments change these laws can be changed but the Voice cannot be extinguished without a referendum to remove it from the Constitution.

https://voice.gov.au/referendum-2023/referendum-question-and-constitutional-amendment?