Crowd shows support for Voice to Parliament at Bundaberg event

About 100 Bundaberg residents turned out to show their support for the Voice to Parliament in a Walk for Yes event on the weekend. Watch the video:

About 100 people turned out to show their support for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament at the Bundaberg Walk for Yes event on Sunday, September 17.

After assembling in Anzac Park under a cloudless spring sky, the column of supporters, many of whom wore colourful Yes T-shirts and carried Yes23 corflutes, walked beside the Burnett River and under the Burnett Bridge to the sound of John Farnham’s You’re the Voice.

Among the crowd were Bargara resident Chris Ennor, who said he wanted to come out to take a stand against the “despicable fear campaigns” he believed had proliferated in opposition to what he described as a “simple proposition”.

Emily Petherick and Ed Ngati said they joined the Walk for Yes because "it's really important as a community to support the Voice to Parliament".

“I’m 78 years old, but I thought I should just come out and show my support,” Mr Ennor said.

“I just hope that by having marches … people who don’t know (about the Voice) might be convinced to support it.

“Because it’s a simple proposition, it’s just been made political for base political reasons and I think that’s very unfair on First Nations people.

“Because if you boil it down, it’s just recognising that First Nations people were here before Captain Cook, and that on laws we make specifically about them they’re able to give advice.”

After wending their way into Alexandra Park, the crowd gathered before the rotunda for the Welcome to Country by traditional custodian Dana Whiston and a speech from Gooreng Gooreng Elder Aunty Julie Appo.

In her speech Gooreng Gooreng Elder Aunty Julie Appo (left, with Yidinji woman Leonie Joseph) thanked the crowd for unifying behind the Voice proposal.

Aunty Julie encouraged the crowd to speak to friends and family and “implant the desire to go out and find the right story” about the Voice proposal against claims it would be used to strip land rights from non-Indigenous Australians.

“We are not after your backyards, we’re not going to kick you out of this country, we’re not going to disadvantage you,” Aunty Julie said.

“I urge you to stick together on this with us … we don’t want to walk behind you, we don’t want to walk in front of you … we want to walk with you.

“Thank you for being united, and thank you for showing the naysayers that we can do it together.”

Bundaberg MP Tom Smith urged volunteers to spread support for the Voice proposal through a simple message based on the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

Bundaberg Labor MP Tom Smith urged the crowd to lend their support to the Yes campaign by persuading undecided voters through a simple message harking back to the Uluru Statement from the Heart that first issued the invitation for a First Nations Voice in 2017.

“Share your heart, talk about your principles and beliefs,” Mr Smith said.

“Let’s not confuse (undecided voters); let’s just say to them why you believe that it’s important that Australia has a shared heart that comes from the Uluru Statement from the Heart”.

In a statement issued on Monday, September 18, Yes for Bundaberg co-captain Allan Cook said “it was very positive to see a great turnout of people” for the Walk for Yes event.

Originally published as Crowd shows support for Voice to Parliament at Bundaberg event