ACTU Secretary Sally McManus reinforces yes campaign with Far North visit

The head of the Australian labour union movement has spoken in Far North Queensland, saying Indigenous people deserve to be consulted before the government makes decisions about them.

The head of the Australian labour union movement says Indigenous people deserve to be consulted before the government makes decisions about them.

Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Sally McManus appeared at a number of Far North polling stations urging this week in support for the proposal as the latest polls indicated the Yes vote was losing ground.

Ms McManus was in Cairns on Thursday campaigning for the Yes vote ahead of the referendum on October 14.

“Unions are backing the Yes vote and that is why I am here in Cairns. After over 200 years the one thing Indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are asking for is to be consulted before our government makes decisions about them,” Ms McManus said.

“I reckon and the whole trade union movement thinks that is only fair.”

Ms McManus said it’s been difficult for the Yes campaign in the face of misinformation but there were still plenty of people who were undecided.

“There is a bit less than two weeks to voting day and there is a large number of people who are undecided,” she said.

“There are so many people who have not heard about the referendum let alone about the Voice.”

Ms McManus asid the Yes campaign was a “very positive campaign”.

“It’s about hope, a better future and it is about trying something new,” she said.

ACTU Secretary Sally McManus visited Cairns to show union support the yes campaign as early voting polls opened across the Far North.

“And the thing is whenever you talk about changing things and trying something new it is open to people to just throw mud at it.

“It is extremely easy to run a No campaign and come up with 100 different reasons and 99 of them might have no basis whatsoever and just be based on fear and one or two of those can stick.

“So you are always the underdog when you are asking for a change, a positive change to the way things are done.”

Ms McManus said no matter the result of the referendum the labour movement would continue to be committed to First Nations justice.

“They won’t find a stronger ally than the trade labour union movement,” she said.

“One thing we know is the way we are doing it at the moment is not working, every year our government does a Closing The Gap report (it reveals) things are getting worse, they are not getting better.

“Us as Australians, we can have a go at doing something better. The answer should be Yes, it is a simple thing to just listen to people before you decide to make laws about them.”

Originally published as ACTU Secretary Sally McManus reinforces yes campaign with Far North visit