Julia Gillard kicks off UK campaign for the Voice

Former prime minister Julia Gillard has been joined by a drag queen singing John Farnham’s anthem ‘The Voice’ to launch the official Yes23 campaign in London.

Former prime minister Julia Gillard was joined by a drag queen singing John Farnham’s anthem “The Voice” to launch the official Yes23 campaign in London early Thursday morning Sydney time.

The polls open in the UK on Tuesday and the former Labor PM urged UK-based Aussies to vote yes in The Voice referendum.

Ms Gillard was joined by a throng of ex-pats and a drag queen dressed in an Australian flag swimsuit and Aboriginal flag cape singing the Farnham song, which has been adopted by the Yes campaign..

Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard addresses a YES23 Voice to Parliament event in London. Picture: Danielle Gusmaroli

Ms Gillard, who led Australia from 2010 to 2013, said there had been improvements to “close the gaps” among Indigenous populations in life expectancy, infant mortality, employment, access to early childhood education, reading, writing and numeracy, but more could be achieved.

“What the voice will ensure is that we always hear, that we always have, the best, best voice telling us what needs to be done by our nation next,” she said.

Ex Aussie PM Julia Gillard (front left) at London's Yes campaign for the Voice to Parliament.. with a drag queen. pic.twitter.com/n92eXOvoP1

— Jacquelin Magnay (@jacquelinmagnay) September 27, 2023

Ms Gillard also claimed that “intergenerational trauma” was a “real thing”.

“Why do we fail to meet the targets that we collectively as a nation have set ourselves to change?

“I think that there is one explanation and that is because we haven’t heard the voice of those who can truly make the biggest difference,” she said.

Ms Gillard was joined by a drag queen singing

John Farnham’s anthem “The Voice”. Picture: Danielle Gusmaroli

Australia House is the largest overseas polling station for Australians living out of the country, with around 160,000 eligible Australian voters thought to live in the UK.