Indigenous voice to parliament will give Indigenous Australia responsibility for ‘problems and solutions’, Noel Pearson says

Cape York leader Noel Pearson says the proposed voice to parliament will give Indigenous people responsibility for their own problems and solutions.

Cape York leader Noel Pearson says the proposed Voice to Parliament will give Indigenous people responsibility for their own problems and solutions.

A key architect of the Voice and founder of Cape York Institute, Mr Pearson said if the Voice ­referendum was successful, First Nations people would become as responsible as government for ­addressing disadvantage.

“More than two decades ago, I argued the need to restore the importance of responsibility in our understanding about problems and in our understanding of the solutions,” he said. “By having a voice, we will be responsible for closing the gap, we will be as responsible as the government.

“By all means blame us, but give us a say in the decisions that are made about us before you do.”

Speaking at the Queensland University of Technology’s Meanjin Oration event on Monday night, after attending the launch of the Qantas “Yes” campaign earlier in the day, Mr Pearson said there was a “once in a nation’s lifetime opportunity within our grasp”.

“We will bequeath to our children a better Australia, our children will grow up in a way that we never knew,” he said. “They will grow up not fearing Indigenous people, prejudice over time will diminish.

“Indigenous and non-Indigenous children will grow up knowing who they are. Australians with a sense of belonging together.”

With non-Indigenous people making up 97 per cent of the ­population, Mr Pearson urged non-Indigenous people in the audience to talk to family and friends about the referendum.

“This is not a federal election campaign between the Liberal and Labor. If you’re a Liberal voter, there’s no reason why you can’t say Yes to Australia, if you are a Labor voter, the same applies.

“This is not about Anthony ­Albanese and Peter Dutton – this is about whether we are going to achieve a new Australia.”

An exclusive Newspoll conducted for The Australian this month showed support for a constitutionally enshrined Indigenous Voice has fallen below 50 per cent in every state.

The poll suggests the Yes vote nationally was at 43 per cent and the No vote at 46 per cent, when averaged over surveys between May and July this year.