Local Aboriginal woman, Delta Kay is very clear when it comes to the subject of the Voice to Parliament referendum. She’s adamant that she only speaks for herself, and her opinions are hers alone.
‘Lots of people are asking me about it, and I say these are my words. No one else. I do not represent my family or my people.’
Delta is also very clear that other people including politicians, including Indigenous politicians, do not speak for her. ‘I am voting “Yes!”’
‘I am a local Bundjalung of Byron Bay woman raised up on my mother’s mother’s traditional country.
‘I grew up surrounded by a big family and we all experienced racism through schooling, renting and a denial of our cultural rights.’
Delta wants to see better things for Indigenous people. As the daughter of a woman who died in her 40s, as the kin and friend of people who have been to jail, and others who are struggling to find jobs, Delta spends her days living and working on Country and educating locals and visitors about her culture through her business, Explore Byron Bay.
Small step forward
Delta says she believes this referendum is a small step forward to unite the nation and correct the constitution to enable Indigenous people to advise parliament on solutions that affect Indigenous people and culture.
‘I want to see an Indigenous Voice to parliament that will challenge policies and law. I want to see an Indigenous voice that knows our people, and will have solutions to our ever-growing problems such as health, education, housing and over-representation in the jail system.
‘I have family members who have been through the system, and continually get harassed by police. We know how to heal our mob, through connection to culture and Country programs. Government policies don’t address our communities’ needs. Instead, I see our people get depressed, frustrated, and locked up again and again.’
No acknowledgement until 1967 referendum
Delta says a Voice to Parliament can fight for sustained funding that keeps youth out of jail, and is cheaper for taxpayers.
‘My older brother Michael was born in 1961, he wasn’t acknowledged in the Constitution until the 1967 referendum, that he counted as part of the Australian population. Nothing else, just recognition.
‘Our 2023 referendum is an opportunity for an Indigenous voice to parliament that addresses Indigenous issues, nothing else’.
Delta says the Uluru Statement from the Heart was created and led by Indigenous people who came from all over Australia in 2017.
‘I have met many of those incredible Indigenous leaders who attended the gathering, and I believe our representatives will have my best interests at heart when making decisions that affect me and other Indigenous people.
‘I am tired of hearing the deception of the naysayers who are deliberately confusing people about the Voice! Many are non-Indigenous people who are speaking on Indigenous people’s behalf.
Speak for ourselves
‘Many are rude and aggressive. Stop it! Indigenous people can speak for themselves.
‘There is too much fighting in our nation. It stems from so many people being fearful of the unknown, and it’s just too easy to become angry.
‘Well, I’m not going to be angry or fearful. I’m going to vote “Yes”, and I’m going to fight for a better future for our children – for everyone’s children. We’re the only Commonwealth country that hasn’t got a treaty. Well, here’s our chance to make a start.
‘We know that we can always be “sovereign” beings. I was born sovereign and I’ll die sovereign. The Voice won’t change that. It’s another step forward towards a treaty process.
‘We can still fight for a treaty, we know that it’s going to come but it’s going to take time, but if Aboriginal people don’t get their act together and come together under the Aboriginal flag, we’re never going to get it.
‘My mother expects me to continue the work of looking after Country, and sharing our culture, so people understand and respect Country, like we do. We all come from this land, whether you’re black, white, or brindle, and the whole of Australia needs to take that first step’.
It’s painful to realise our First Nations people are still not constitutionally recognised in their OWN country.
The very least we can do is rectify this alarming and glaring omission, by a simple YES vote
This referendum also addresses and formulates a simple chain for deliberations, decisions and voicing to parliament, towards overcoming problems pertaining to First Nations people, who know better, of their solutions.
A resounding YES, will go a long way to uniting this broken country.
Let’s all love country together.
I so agree Tim 🦎
The Parliament will formulate the details of how the Voice will work so there is no risk in voting YES. The No campaign are just making mischief when they say ‘Where are the details and it’s too risky’. They know full well there is no risk and what they’re saying is untrue…it’s so mean-spirited. For any of us who have come to this country over the generations and enjoyed the benefits and opportunities it provides, to then deny that same right to the indigenous people of this land is just incomprehensible.
Then they should just make the Voice first, give it a few years to see if it works, then have a referendum.
The request was for the voice to be in the constitution- the document indigenous people were originally written out of.
It’s the start of listening and not an outrageous request after a couple of centuries.
If being mentioned in the Constitution is the important part, then just do that instead.
Government solves all problems; White people have lots of government; thus White people have no problems. The Voice is more government for Black people.
There will be no more “government” for First Nations people. THEY simply want the opportunity to have input prior to policy formation. Seems to me the opposite of what you are suggesting.
You presume the Voice will never advocate for anything the normal people don’t want. Aboriginals have a corrupt political class, just as we do.
I’m not presuming anything – they might suggest all sorts of things that would be both fair AND not whaat the rest of us want. Whatever they advocate will not automatically become law.
You cannot unite a country by dividing it on the basis of race in the constitution.
The proposal will harm Aboriginal Australia – and already has – because it further erodes the ability of Australian people to trust Aboriginal people, which has been slowly eroding with the implementation of more and more racial discrimination by Aboriginal people
I think to the contrary Shane, setting up channels of communication, like the Voice to parliament, is a way to increase trust, understanding and unity. It’s just possible you might like what you hear from the voice. It may seem reasonable and increase your trust.
Can you please tell the rest of us how this is going to happen and how you will be subject to discrimination?
Don’t no, vote yes.
If you read the constitution it is very racial that separate laws can be established for different races so that if a state decides a race can’t vote then federally they can’t vote. Please check reality not ill informed misinformation.
So Shane you’re unaware then of the wording of s.51 of the Constitution? Let me help….
s.51 Legislative powers of the Parliament.
“The Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws for the peace, order, and good government of the Commonwealth with respect to: (xxvi): the people of any race for whom it is deemed necessary to make special laws.”
Interesting that you think Aboriginal people, approximately 3% of the population, comprising the most disadvantaged group in the country, are eroding the trust of the other 97% by themselves implementing “more and more racial discrimination”? Wow, what on earth are you on about?
Of course most people would prefer to vote YES with Delta and the rest of our community.
Whats the alternative? Vote with Jacinta Price who had the richest woman in the world Gina Rhinehart along with Warren Mundine and a group of Murdoch media, attend her first speech in the Senate?
Ask yourselves, why would one of the worlds richest Mining prospecting corporation owners and Murdoch media attend Jacinta Price’s first speech in the Senate? Did they just want to make sure she got her pre written speech right, who actually wrote Prices speech?
Perhaps now the referendum date has been announced the media may ask Price and Mundine to explain this to the voting public, instead of attacking anyone or anything involved in the YES Vote 24/7?
Just why are Price and Mundine traversing all over Australia, everywhere, every day, really working so diligently for the shadowy vested mining interests behind the divisive NO Vote and whom is really paying for it? Lets see some transparency from the shadowy secretive million dollar NO Vote PR machine.
Mundine is on the Board of a mining company, with fat salary. Miners dont want a stronger voice for Aboriginals, and Mundine is acting for his Political and Mining boss’s . Mundine has been spruiking Nuclear Energy (as has been Abbott) – Mundine, Abbot and Rinehart want to mine and find land for a Nuclear waste dump, and [that is more difficult with] pesky black fellas in the way. Mundine shouldnt be leading any side of the Referendum – he has a Pecuniary Conflict of Interest, and he blows where the wind blows ( he was prominent in the Labor Movement, but when he didn’t get preselected to stand for parliament with Labor, he then joined the Libs and tucked himself in with the Miners).
The least we can do is respect the opinion of people like Delta, and that they know what their people need; respect where the request for a voice is coming from and where the Uluru Statement came from and vote YES.
I do respect Delta’s option. I support her being able to voice it. I respect her motives. I’m voting No.
Thank you Delta. sadly too many people are running around listening to rubbish. Treaty is needed and yes this is a small step in that direction.