Ed,

By voting YES, we will acknowledge the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait people and set the Constitution record straight.

Enshrining an Indigenous Voice means it cannot be disbanded at the whim of the government and importantly the advice the Voice gives must come from the grassroots and not bureaucrats in Canberra!

The Voice is an advisory body and cannot make laws, a small however significant step forward. I believe it is reasonable and fair to have input in matters that affect you. It’s about doing things ‘with’ and not ‘to’ people. The government will be expected to not only listen but to ‘hear’ and act on advice or suffer the consequences at the ballot box.

Appropriately, implementation of the Voice is not specific. This allows for flexibility for the Voice to evolve along with society.

The request for the Voice has come from Indigenous people themselves. The possibility for culturally sensitive policies and laws, leading to improved and potentially cheaper outcomes in the long run is exciting.

The prospect of refusing this request, ignoring the goodwill and missing this opportunity is too disheartening to contemplate!

Come on Australia, let’s vote YES, work together, and move forward.

Christina Wales, Grafton