Michael's View on the Voice
But I can do something in the next few months to improve the health of Aboriginal people in coming years. I can work hard to give them a say in their own affairs. I can vote “Yes” at the coming referendum. I can get the message out to my friends, neighbours and work-mates that this change is an impo
In late 2023, Australians will vote in a referendum to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia through an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice enshrined in the Constitution.
This week, we heard from Michael Valceski, chair of the University of Wollongong's Student Advisory Council.
Young Australians have as much to gain from the Voice as the First Australians do because we are the ones who will inherit the future. Indigenous or non-Indigenous, we will all be trusted with upholding the legacy of the generations that came before us. And that can be frightening, but also exciting and empowering.
So it’s time we ask ourselves: do we want a future where the struggles of our past continue to plague us? Do we want a future where we are still fighting the same battles, over and over again? Or can we find the courage to make a change, to try something new? A new way of doing things, a better way to close the gap.
This is what it is to be a Voice for Generations. That’s what the Voice is all about.
It’s not just constitutional recognition in a way that respects the Uluru Statement from the Heart. It’s about making a difference in the lives of those around us. In the lives of First Nations' communities who have long been crying out to be heard. Who have long asked for a seat at the table in the spirit of cooperation, rather than being simply being told how the gap will be closed.
More young people than ever are going to university across Australia. And yet, as the Federal Education Minister, Jason Clare, so tragically said in his National Press Club Address: young Indigenous Australians are more likely to go to jail than university.
This has to change.
By enrolling and voting, young people can stand up and change the world.
And the best part? It’s easy. Because all it takes is a vote.
