Qantas unveils ‘Yes23’ livery for three planes, reaffirms support for Voice

A key detail will be added to several Qantas planes as the national carrier backs in the Voice to parliament.

Qantas boss Alan Joyce has confirmed the airline’s support for the Voice to parliament, splashing the Yes campaign logo on three aircraft.

The airline chief unveiled the planes with the Yes23 campaign logo at Sydney Airport on Monday morning alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Key members of the Yes23 and the Uluru Dialogue will also receive free flights in order to travel to regional and remote Australian to spread the message ahead of the referendum.

Mr Joyce said the national carrier was “literally flying the flag” in support for the Voice.

“These aircraft will cover a huge amount of the country. Every major city every major town will get to see this message, which is fantastic,” Mr Joyce said.

Qantas will back a yes vote for the Voice to parliament referendum. Picture: Qantas/ Twitter

The livery will be carried on three aircraft: a Qantas Boeing 737, a QantasLink Dash 8 Turboprop and a Jetstar Airbus A320.

Mr Joyce said the airlines support for the Voice was part of the Qantas’ commitment to reconciliation.

In his own address, Mr Albanese said the referendum – expected to be held in October – was an opportunity to “lift up our nation”.

“If not now, when? If not us, who?” he asked Australians to consider.

“In 2023, we will give every Australian the opportunity in coming weeks – not long to go now – to do that, to show respect, to uplift our whole nation and to send a message to the world that we are a confident, mature nation prepared to come to terms with the fullness and the richness of our history.”

He called on Australians to consider how they would like to feel the day after the referendum.

“It will be such a wonderful moment because the alternative is more of the same – the same that sees us achieving just four of 19 closing the gap targets being on track,” he said.

“We can do better, we must do better, and we will do better when Australians vote for recognition”

Yes23 campaign director Dean Parkin, Indigenous leader Noel Pearson and former Australian of the Year Adam Goodes also appeared at the event.

The former AFL star said it was critical to engage voters as soon as possible.

Mr Joyce unveiled the new livery in Sydney. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

“We can't have people sitting on the sidelines right now, not listening, not engaging, and then two weeks before a month before we have to vote, trying to find all that information,” he said.

“We need to have those conversations now and we need to start listening to what people are thinking and saying.”

Meanwhile, Opposition Indigenous Australians spokeswoman, Jacinta Price called on the Prime Minister to order a forensic audit to determine the failings in the funding already pledged to close the gap.

“We can't keep pouring money into a problem and not getting the right outcomes for it,” she told reporters in Brisbane.

“But this, this proposal doesn’t suggest it’s going to do anything to fix the system that currently exists. It’s popping a whole new layer on top of that.”