On 15 October I woke up profoundly sad. Like many people in this region, I’d been committed to supporting the Uluru Statement from the Heart by campaigning for a ‘Yes’ vote. We ran a cohesive positive campaign that embodied the core value of truth-telling. But it wasn’t enough. The results were deeply shocking. It felt hard to believe that this modest request could have become such a divisive issue.

Though the results are in, on Saturday both the Member for Lismore, Janelle Saffin and Member of the Legislative Council, Sue Higginson were both positive and philsophical about the unfolding event.

Does the resounding defeat of the Voice referendum on the weekend show that Australia hasn't changed much since the bad old days, or have things just become much worse?

The Voice is a matter of conscience, not division.

It was a pleasant morning: crisp, and bright. Birds tweeting. People smiling at each other. Buskers doing their thing. Cafes abuzz. This was downtown Mullumbimby on a sunny, spring day. 

In referendums held last week, Ecuadorians voted to protect unique biospheres and halt mineral and oil extraction – one annulling mining concessions owned by Gina Rinehart and others in northwest Ecuador.

Most Australian households have now received their Voice referendum booklet in the mail. It looks quite official and is being distributed by the Australian Electoral Commission. Unfortunately the contents haven't been fact checked. Like most other forms of federal political advertising, lying and misinformation in this context is completely legal.

Noel Pearson and Kerry O'Brien brought the Yes23 roadshow to a packed house at Lennox Head Cultural Centre on Tuesday night, as part of the education campaign for the forthcoming Voice referendum. The event was hosted by the federal member for Richmond, Justine Elliot.

Yesterday the 'YES' campaign officially kicked off around the nation, launching on the first day of NAIDOC week.

Later this year we will be asked if we agree to establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Opinion polls show that opposition to the Voice proposal is growing.