Christine Williams
I will be voting Yes to the Voice as, in my opinion, it is the only option which will allow progress towards actually closing the gap between outcomes for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. For decades, non-Indigenous Australians have set policies in place to close the gap with very limited success. The Uluru Statement from the Heart made quite clear the desire of the majority of Indigenous Australians to try another way.
The statistics tell a stark story: that our current policies and programs are not working to improve health and education outcomes, or to reduce the number of Indigenous people in jail. Young Indigenous people today face many more obstacles to leading a successful life than my granddaughters. Providing a vehicle by which the views of Indigenous people can be heard by our politicians seems to be one step in the right direction.
By voting no, we will effectively be closing off options to actually make a difference to the lives of future generations of Indigenous youth.