Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney visited Dubbo to raise awareness about the Indigenous Voice to Parliament and ask residents to vote 'yes' in the referendum later this year.
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"Our constitution is incomplete because it doesn't recognise our story. It doesn't recognise us, and it doesn't reflect the truth of Australia. This referendum will do that," she said during her speech on Tuesday.
"The second thing it will do is it will make sure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will have a say to the parliament about things that affect us."
Education, women's affairs, and childcare were some of the things Minister Burney said the Voice would have a say in in federal parliament if the referendum was successful.
She also shared her own experiences with attendees not knowing much about her culture while growing up and not being recognised as an Australian. She said the bar was "very high" for a successful referendum and told the crowd only eight out of 47 referendums had been successful in Australian history.
"I'm drawing my inspiration from the most successful referendum ever in this country, it had a 90 per cent vote... in 1967, where finally we were counted in the Australian Census," she said.
"Like many of you, I spent the first ten years of my life not being recognised and not being counted, and that's shameful. But this [referendum] goes a step further, it's giving us a say in what happens in that place on the hill in Canberra," Ms Burney said.
READ ALSO: Don't make the same mistake on Voice: Burney
The minister also responded to those who say that the Voice could undermine the authority of 11 First Nations MPs elected to Parliament.
"The 11 Blackfellas, and I'm one of them, may not be there after this election, we are not permanent, this Voice will be. It will be protected by the constitution, which means we need a big fat yes vote," Ms Burney said.
"I'm asking you all to walk with me on that journey. It is going to be the most unifying moment this country has ever experienced."
"We don't want the Voice, we want something better which is a treaty that recognises our sovereignty," Dubbo resident Diane Stewart said.
Daily Liberal put the question to the minister who said it was all about "sequencing" and that treaties took about 15 to 20 years to develop.
"I don't want to wait 15 to 20 years for a Voice. A Voice will be very important particularly in terms of a body that will advise on issues across the board in the First Nations space, we will get to a treaty and we will get to truth, but the Voice comes first."
Resident Sheena Olsen, said she would vote 'yes' for the younger generation.
"It's a guaranteed Voice that we're going to have for the rest of the kids lives and the generations that come after that," Ms Olsen said.
Another attendee, Barbara Sutherland said the 1967 vote was "inspirational" and it must be repeated.
"Indigenous people have to be included in Australia's constitution, it's time," she said.
A Wiradjuri woman from the Murrumbidgee area, Minister Burney addressed a diverse crowd of residents who came to hear what she had to say during the 'week of action'. She had already been to Orange and Wellington to promote the Voice to Parliament. She would also be speaking in Sydney, Melbourne and Flinders Island later this week.
Moreover, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on February 21 narrowed the timeline on Indigenous Voice referendum and said it would be held on a Saturday between October and December this year.
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