Deborah Lilly, Mullumbimby
I went to the most memorable evening in the pub. Thomas Mayor gave a talk about the Uluru Statement from the Heart; organised by Megan Edwards in conjunction with Ngara Politics in the Pub.
Thomas is articulate, grounded, good looking, and a gently persuasive Indigenous man of Torres Straight Island origin, who was brought up in Larrakia country, Darwin. He is a wharfie, unionist, activist, and advocate of Uluru Statement from the Heart; after its rejection by the then PM Turnbull, he has travelled around the country garnering grassroots support. ‘We cannot take No for an answer,’ he said. ‘If we continue to build public support, we will get there.’
The Statement unanimously passed the Mullum pub test with a standing ovation after Thomas Mayor recited it. The energy in the room was palpable, expansive, and will no doubt catalyse discourse to have Voice, Treaty, and Truth recognised and honoured.
Thomas Mayor’s book Finding the Heart of the Nation – the Journey of the Uluru Statement towards Voice, Treaty and Truth will be published October 1, 2019.
I think he’d make a great prime minister.
The Statement and a clip explaining it can be seen on www.1voiceuluru.org/.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
