It is long past time to recognise and properly acknowledge the past and present experiences of First Nations peoples in Australia.
For most of the time since 1788 right up to our lifetime, many Aboriginal people have had their lives controlled by governments who failed to consult with or listen to the people whose lives were detrimentally affected. Sadly political and bureaucratic cultures have yet to fully shake off this paternalism and allow faster progress on closing the gap.
Fair dinkum acknowledgement starts with listening to the voices of Aboriginal Australians. Vote ‘Yes’.
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. 
