Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese’s highly anticipated announcement of the date for the Voice referendum today has been upstaged by a technical glitch from his own ‘Yes’ camp, with the date revealed on the official Voice campaign website before the PM took to the stage in Adelaide to reveal it.
The referendum to decide whether or not Australia should have a constitutionally enshrined Indigenous Voice to Parliament will be held on October 14th.
“On that day every Australian will have a once-in-a-generation chance to bring our country together and change it for the better,” the PM told ‘Yes’ supporters in Adelaide.
“You are not being asked to vote for a political party or a person. You’re being asked to say yes to an idea whose time has come.
The Prime Minister said the Voice would save Australians money in the long term by streamlining services and better directing support to where its needed.
“My fellow Australians, what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people want for their children is what you want for yours,” he said.
“Staying healthy, doing well at school, finding a job they love, being safe and leading fulfilling lives. That’s what they are asking you to say yes to at this referendum – the same opportunity for their children to make a good life for themselves.”
Voting ‘No’ means Australia will be “going nowhere” he told the crowd.
“Don’t close the door on constitutional recognition. Don’t close the door on the next generation of Indigenous Australians. Vote Yes.”
Meanwhile, First Nations woman, Janetia Knapp (pictured, above) has appeared on a video posted to conservative lobby group, Fair Australia’s social media, telling Australians why she will be voting ‘No’.
“We are not all the same and there are a lot of us Aboriginal people that are voting no,” she said.
“The Voice has created so much division that we are labelled which we weren’t before. We are all one.”
