“The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples I know are pragmatic, so it makes sense that they wish to be recognised in the Constitution through an advisory body — a Voice. The Voice’s design principles show that the non-binding independent advice will come from the grassroots enabling Parliament and Government to function more effectively. In my book, that can only be a good thing,” says The Rev’d Cameron Freese
“Brenda’s whole story is a weaving of ‘black’ and ‘white’ cultures together where, in her words, ‘two halves can make a powerful whole’,” say Jennifer (from The Parish of Mudgeeraba) and Mark Stevens (from The Parish of Mudgeeraba and All Saints’ Anglican School)
“My dad’s mum, Nan, taught me Dreaming stories, about animals and language. My mum’s dad, Grandad Daylight, taught me stories about the Dreaming, including how the mountains were formed. When I was very young, my aunties and uncles taught me how to fish for whiting and barramundi and how to hunt for turtle and dugong. I learnt a lot from my Old People around the campfire because I listened,” says Gubbi Gubbi and Dharumbal man Adrian Malone from Anglicare
“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