Australia’s single-largest donor to the Yes campaign stands by its $7 million donation to the failed Indigenous Voice to parliament referendum, arguing that discussion of the merits of self-determination spurred on by the vote has been constructive in efforts to Close the Gap.

Paul Ramsay Foundation chairman Michael Traill singled out the Yes campaign’s failure to educate average Australians on the merits of community-led leadership, combined with a weakening economy and a lack of bipartisan support, as factors weighing on the referendum’s outcome.