Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum 2023: How Gold Coast political leaders will vote

Mayor Tom Tate has revealed where he stands on The Voice to Parliament as the Gold Coast is declared “key” whether it succeeds. FIND OUT HOW

Mayor Tom Tate says he is yet to make a decision on the Voice to Parliament.

Cr Tate confirmed he would not take part in either the Yes or No campaigns.

“I won’t be pushing any position on this referendum – this is a decision for the entire country and everyone will be to considering their vote carefully,” he said.

“The ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ campaigns will be ramping up their messaging over the next six weeks and I, like most other Australians, will be listening to all the information to inform how I vote.”

It comes as Labor’s Southport-based Senator Murray Watt revealed the Gold Coast will be key in whether the Voice to Parliament succeeds,

On Thursday Senator Watt joined several Gold Coast Suns representatives, Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney, State Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon and Councillor Glenn Tozer with other Yes23 campaigners to kickstart the local push.

The meeting planned for Heritage Bank Stadium in Carrara will be Ms Burney’s first stop on the campaign trail following Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announcing on Wednesday that the referendum would be held on October 14.

“The Gold Coast will be key in whether the Voice to Parliament is successful,” Senator Watt said.

Housing Minister and Gaven MP Meaghan Scanlon, with Noel Pearson and Senator Murray Watt at Nerang as the Yes vote for the Voice campaign reached out to the Gold Coast community.

“For a referendum to get up, it requires the majority support of the nation and the majority of votes in four states.

“The Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney has issued a call-to-action to Gold Coasters to be part of history and vote yes to an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.”

Senator Watt said his view was that voting Yes would be a great chance to unify the country and lead to another step in our country’s reconciliation journey.

“With the best of intentions and substantial investment from both sides of the parliament, the current approach simply isn’t working,” he said.

“Year after year, we hear the same reports of the yawning gap in health, education and economic outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

“We simply shouldn’t still have an eight-year life expectancy gap between Indigenous Australians and non-Indigenous Australians in this day and age. Voting no means more of the same, and that nothing will change.”

Senator Watt said it was critical for health, housing bodies and government decision makers to work together, and listen to the voice of First Nations people to work towards closing the gap.

“We know we get better results and better value for money when we listen to people. The best way to achieve that is by establishing a constitutionally protected Indigenous Voice to Parliament,” he said.

“The Voice was a gracious offer, made by Indigenous people at the constitutional convention in 2017 through the Uluru Statement of the Heart.”

Senator Watt said the debate about the Voice amounted to three key things.

“Recognising our First Nations people in our nation’s birth certificate, listening to their advice on matters that affect them and achieving better results,” he said.

“Parliaments and governments will still make decisions, but those decisions will be better when we listen to the people they affect.”

Fellow federal Labor MP Justine Elliot, who represents the Tweed seat of Richmond enthusiastically threw her support behind the vote, saying “Let’s do it – YES”.

Less supportive was LNP Fadden MP Cameron Caldwell who said he would vote against the Voice.

“Constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians could have been achieved with a unifying moment of meaning,” he said.

“Instead, this is risky, lacking in detail and not a silver bullet leading to improved outcomes for Indigenous Australians and we don’t know who the voice will be, how they will be elected, what limit there are to the powers, and many other unanswered questions. As a lawyer, my approach to amending the Constitution – the bedrock document of our democracy – should be undertaken with great caution.

“We are a successful cohesive multicultural nation and division based on race is not the sort of country that I aspire Australia to be.”

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