Andrew Bolt: The Voice can’t magically make you live longer, if you don’t do it for yourself

The child star of the Yes23’s latest advertisement has been told only the Voice can give him the good things he wants – he should have been told the truth.

Someone in the Yes23 campaign should have done a favour for the worried boy they got to star in their new ad for the Voice.

They should have told him the truth.

I don’t know who he is, so I’ll call him Sam.

Sam, I’m going to tell you some great news.

Don’t believe these people at Yes23 who told you only “the Voice” can give you the good things you want – that only a “Yes makes it possible”, as they made you say.

The worried boy who stars in the Yes23 campaign ad.

Rubbish! It’s already out there, just waiting for you to grab it.

Sam, you ask us in this ad: “Will I grow up in a country that hears my voice?”

Here’s the first brilliant truth: we hear you already.

Obviously, you’re in this ad, just for a start. You also seem smart enough to figure other ways to get people’s attention when you’re older.

More importantly, you’ll get to vote. That’s the voice every adult already has.

Ask the people in the Yes23 campaign: don’t they vote, too?

If you want an even bigger voice, you could become an activist like them, or a writer, business leader, preacher, or actor. Or become a politician, like the 11 people in our federal parliament who also identify as Aboriginal. What a mighty voice you’d have then!

Sam, you ask: “Will I live as long as other Australians?”

I have more great news. There’s absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t!

Just eat healthy food, exercise and look after yourself. Don’t smoke or drink or do other dangerous stuff and you should be great.

But all of that is up to you. The Voice can’t magically make you live longer, if you don’t do it for yourself.

Yes campaigner and filmmaker Rachel Perkins. Picture: David Mariuz

Sam, you ask: “Will I get to go to a good school?”

I’m guessing by how well you speak that you’re probably at a good school already. If not, ask your mum and dad how they can get you to the one you need, or how they can volunteer to help your school do better.

You might then be ahead of me. I wasn’t as lucky as Pat Dodson, the Aboriginal politician and Yes campaigner, who was sent by his mum and dad to Monivae College, and became school captain. But there is a lot more help out there these days.

Sam, in the ad you ask: “Will I be able to learn my people’s language?”

More good news: you can already.

In fact, nearly 80,000 people speak an Aboriginal language at home. If you want to learn, too, just ask mum or dad to teach you some words to start with, to see if you like it.

Mind you, take if from me, who can’t speak a word of my grandfather’s Frisian language: you can’t beat English if you want to get ahead here.

Sam, you ask: “Will I be seen beyond the sports field, recognised by the decision-makers of our country?”

Of course, you will – if sports is not your thing! You can do anything you like, if you work hard enough.

Look around and you’ll already see wonderful Aboriginal painters, singers, dancers, teachers, politicians, writers, community workers and businessmen.

Or ask your parents to show you a $50 note. See the face there? That’s David Unaipon, who was an inventor and a preacher.

Or check out my own Aboriginal heroes. There’s Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, our most exciting politician today. Millions listen to her.

Albert Namatjira was one of our most famous painters. Harold Blair was an opera singer. John Newfong wrote wonderful newspaper columns, and now my friend Dr Anthony Dillon does, too. Kelvin Kong became a surgeon. Warren Mundine is in the mining business.

True, boys often like soldiers best. Well, have you heard of Captain Reg Saunders?

Sam, don’t trust anyone telling you Aborigines can only be sports people. These Yes23 people who made you say that know it’s not true, because their own boss is Rachel Perkins, and she’s a film director. Her dad was the first Aborigine to lead a government department.

Ask Rachel something important about that: how she and her dad got to do something so cool.

It certainly wasn’t because they sat around waiting for “the Voice” to drop it into their laps.

No, they worked for it, and now it’s out there waiting for you to do the same.

“The Voice” can’t give those good things to you. You yourself must get up and get them.

Good luck, Sam.