ACSQ Parliamentary submission: 'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God'

“As Christians, we place a high value on peace. The Bible records Jesus of Nazareth saying: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God’…We believe that the implementation of the Voice through the proposed constitutional amendment wording will advance peace and the ongoing Reconciliation process, thus helping to foster healing and unify our country,” say Aunty Dr Rose Elu, Canon Bruce Boase, The Very Rev’d Dr Peter Catt, Anglicare’s Sue Cooke and the Anglican Schools Commission’s Sherril Butterworth in their recent Parliamentary submission

Why I am voting “yes” in the referendum: Bishop Daniel Abot

“We are a democratic country and the only way that our policy makers can hear people is if their voice is heard. This is the only way that positive change, including closing the gap, can happen…The Voice is an invitation to all Australians to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples so they can improve the quality of life for their families and wider communities,” says Bishop Daniel Abot

The referendum on constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through a Voice to Parliament

“I think the Voice will help to engage with complex and systemic issues and will help to ‘close the gap’ that exists in so many ways, particularly in health and life expectancy. Powerfully, this has been suggested and offered to us as a way forward by significant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership…and in this there is both grace and gift,” says Bishop Cam Venables

Why I am voting “yes” in the referendum: Phyllis Marsh

“Constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through a pragmatic Voice to Parliament will elevate the education outcomes of Indigenous young people. Consequently our young people will be able to stand strong in who they are and be given the same opportunities as other Australian students. This is why I am voting ‘yes’ in the referendum,” says MaMu woman Phyllis Marsh, from West Moreton Anglican College

Why I am voting “yes” in the referendum: The Ven. Geoff Hoyte

“I am campaigning for the ‘yes’ vote in this year’s referendum because I now have grandchildren. They won’t understand what it is all about when we vote this year, just like I didn’t understand what the 1967 referendum was about when I was five. But I want to be able to tell them about it later and that I tried to be part of making their country fairer,” says The Ven. Geoff Hoyte, as Close the Gap Day approaches on 16 March

Why I am voting “yes” in the referendum: Sue Cooke

“In order to effectively close the health and life expectancy gap, Aboriginal peoples in rural and remote contexts need a culturally safe and reliable grassroots channel to communicate their unique needs. This is one of the reasons I will be voting ‘yes’ for the Voice to Parliament,” says Anglicare Southern Queensland CEO and registered nurse Sue Cooke